I found pumpkinseed fish in the Shiawassee River (located in the middle of the lower peninsula of Michigan) and was curious if anyone knows why they have red eyes? I have attached a picture of one of them. I'm thinking that they might have some sort of parasite/disease or maybe are hybrids. This was the end of August.
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Pumpkinseed with red eyes
#1
Posted 17 September 2019 - 12:41 PM
#2
Posted 17 September 2019 - 03:01 PM
My Northern Longear sunfish has red eyes. Think it's just a trait of the species.
Chris M.
#3
Posted 17 September 2019 - 06:37 PM
Both pumpkinseed and northern longear can have red eyes, but its especially common in northern longear, which I think your fish is.
Gerald Pottern
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Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel
#4
Posted 17 September 2019 - 06:58 PM
My NLE has red eyes. Beautiful fish and very colorful.
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#5
Posted 17 September 2019 - 09:36 PM
Both pumpkinseed and northern longear can have red eyes, but its especially common in northern longear, which I think your fish is.
Gerald is right. It is a northern longear. Now just called northern sunfish. Lepomis peltastes. I agree the eyes are normal.
The member formerly known as Skipjack
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