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Sunfish ID - Ohio River floodplain


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#1 JasonL

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  • Kentucky

Posted 19 March 2017 - 02:23 PM

The Ohio River is fairly high right now out in far western Kentucky. I sampled a marshy, swampy area of floodplain adjacent to a flooded cornfield and found these guys. Water was stained, not more than a foot deep and filled with lots of wood and other debris.


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Could these be juvenile Redspotted Sunfish (Lepomis miniatus) or something else?

#2 Isaac Szabo

Isaac Szabo
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  • Marble Falls, AR

Posted 19 March 2017 - 03:22 PM

My guess would be orangespotted, though it's not a species I have experience with. I'm sure someone else will know for sure.

#3 BenCantrell

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  • Sebastian, FL

Posted 19 March 2017 - 04:11 PM

Yup, orangespotted.  Sounds like their ideal habitat.



#4 Matt DeLaVega

Matt DeLaVega
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  • Ohio

Posted 19 March 2017 - 05:37 PM

Agree.

The member formerly known as Skipjack


#5 JasonL

JasonL
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  • Kentucky

Posted 19 March 2017 - 06:22 PM

These specimens were only 1.5-2 inches long. Their spots seem to be more in rows, was wondering if that is significant or not. The orangespotteds I have at home in my aquaria seem to have more random placement of their spots than these guys but maybe that's just normal variation, not sure.

Here is the habitat sampled. Mix of floodplain and swampy area that never dries out.

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Also found this guy next to a cypress tree. Believe it is a slough darter.

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#6 BenCantrell

BenCantrell
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  • Sebastian, FL

Posted 19 March 2017 - 08:25 PM

Also found this guy next to a cypress tree. Believe it is a slough darter.

 

Yup!  Definitely a slough darter.



#7 Duckman77

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Posted 20 March 2017 - 01:46 PM

In case you needed to hear it from someone else:  The sunnies are definitely orange spotted sunfish.



#8 JasonL

JasonL
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  • Kentucky

Posted 08 April 2017 - 11:28 AM

Well I went back to the same area yesterday. Water level has dropped significantly and there were some good pools to sample. Found these fish in a drainage ditch behind a levee.

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Believe these are brook silversides, golden shiners, ?cypress darters, bluegill, and orangespotted sunfish (which were in here by the hundreds).

Finally as I was leaving I dipnetted a very shallow pool filled with gambusia and found a surprise hidden in the muck. About a foot long or so.


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I also found this sunfish in a very vegetated area around 500 yards from here. What do you all think?

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#9 centrarchid

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Posted 09 April 2017 - 01:34 AM

Last fish pictured is a Red Spotted Sunfish.


Find ways for people not already interested in natives to value them.

#10 BenCantrell

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  • Sebastian, FL

Posted 09 April 2017 - 09:13 AM

Agree with redspotted sunfish.  What's the herp?



#11 MtFallsTodd

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  • Mountain Falls, Virginia

Posted 09 April 2017 - 03:00 PM

Is the"surprise" a siren?
Deep in the hills of Great North Mountain

#12 JasonL

JasonL
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  • Kentucky

Posted 09 April 2017 - 05:57 PM

Is the"surprise" a siren?


Good call. I believe it is a Western Lesser Siren. They are native to this region but I'd never seen one before this day.

#13 MtFallsTodd

MtFallsTodd
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  • Mountain Falls, Virginia

Posted 09 April 2017 - 07:15 PM

Cool, nice find.
Deep in the hills of Great North Mountain




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