It never occurred to me how big my E. obesus is but arnoldi reminded me of their normally small size. About 15 months ago, I collected these in NC and they were 1"-ish. It turned out that I had a male and 3 females. Anyway, the remaining 2 females are around the 2" mark now and the male is pushing 4.5". Anyone else experience large E. obesus in the wild or captivity?
Huge Enneacanthus obesus
Started by
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, Mar 02 2009 07:18 PM
17 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_sandtiger_*
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Posted 02 March 2009 - 07:44 PM
Any chance of a picture? Must be an impressive fish.
#3
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Posted 02 March 2009 - 07:52 PM
Yeah, I will try to snap one. I was waiting til I was able to get a hold of a SLR but let me see what I can do.
#4
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Posted 02 March 2009 - 08:24 PM
I'm borrowing a SLR to test drive tomorrow so hopefully I can get a better pic but here is what I have for now.
Eobesus.jpg 44.93KB
4 downloads
Eobesus.jpg 44.93KB
4 downloads
#5
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Posted 02 March 2009 - 08:41 PM
nice banded sunfish 
, that is huge if their apparent max size is only about 3.75" 
, that is huge if their apparent max size is only about 3.75"
Edited by panfisherteen, 02 March 2009 - 08:41 PM.
#6
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Posted 02 March 2009 - 09:22 PM
In my experience, many fish will far exceed what I've seen in the wild if they're captured while young and allowed a good diet in a large aquarium. I know you well enough Drew that you'll offer a variety in most fishes diet but I don't know what size tank you have them in. So, what size tank?
#7
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Posted 02 March 2009 - 09:34 PM
He spent a good bit in a 5g alone, then I had to hold him in a 20g tub for awhile, and now he's in a 75g with the females and a couple of E. chaetodon. and a small OSS. I fed market shrimp and live blackworms when he was young but nowadays mostly live blackworms.
#8
Guest_mikez_*
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Posted 02 March 2009 - 10:35 PM
I have a pair that are close to that size.
My digital camera died and I'm resurrecting an old film camera that may or may not work. I'm hoping the pair will breed and that I'll get pics.
I have found quite large ones in the wild, although I never measured, I'd bet I've seen four inches more than once.
One population I found was in a very small fire pond dug on a farm. No bluegills or bass were stocked and had no access to invade. The only water near by was a shallow swamp which didn't look like it held fish. Sure enough, the swamp flooded one spring and over flowed into the pond. After that, and for years after, E. obesus was the only fish in the pond and they grew big. I actually caught them on hook and line. I'd say four inches was not unusual for many of the adults.
Too bad my punk little brother snuck in and stocked bass and shiners so he'd have his own private fishin' hole.
My digital camera died and I'm resurrecting an old film camera that may or may not work. I'm hoping the pair will breed and that I'll get pics.
I have found quite large ones in the wild, although I never measured, I'd bet I've seen four inches more than once.
One population I found was in a very small fire pond dug on a farm. No bluegills or bass were stocked and had no access to invade. The only water near by was a shallow swamp which didn't look like it held fish. Sure enough, the swamp flooded one spring and over flowed into the pond. After that, and for years after, E. obesus was the only fish in the pond and they grew big. I actually caught them on hook and line. I'd say four inches was not unusual for many of the adults.
Too bad my punk little brother snuck in and stocked bass and shiners so he'd have his own private fishin' hole.
#9
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Posted 02 March 2009 - 10:53 PM
These are my first bandeds so I have limited experience with them. They are 2+ hours away from me in VA and I've yet to venture out that way. That is on my list of to-do's this year. Fishes of VA puts them at 70mm, same with natureserve, and Fishes of NC doesn't give a size.
How big are the females you find Mike?
How big are the females you find Mike?
#10
Guest_ashtonmj_*
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Posted 03 March 2009 - 08:45 AM
Yeah, but that 74.5 mm was standard length. This is somewhat of a stretch but I took my caliper out and measured the fish in the picture, which in life is 59 mm SL, and got approx. 100 mm SL. The TL was 125 mm. So that works out to roughly 15 mm of tail and a real life TL of 74 mm. Based on that crude conversion a 74 mm SL specimen would likely be 88 mm TL, similar to the overall max specimen from CT of 89 mm TL.
#11
Guest_Dustin_*
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Posted 03 March 2009 - 08:48 AM
The very first obesus I ever caught was near that size. We were on a forestry service road in central FL and I pulled this fish out. It looked so different from anything else I had ever seen that I had to ask Fritz what it was to be sure. I caught three that trip and those are the only three I have ever caught. I wish I could find them in SC since apparently they are everywhere.....
#12
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Posted 03 March 2009 - 09:49 AM
Are those sizes isolated to the obesus or can the gloriosus get that big as well?
#13
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Posted 03 March 2009 - 12:53 PM
I've had a male E. gloriosus for over 2 years now that is probablly about the same size as Drew's big banded. He's spawned multiple times with several different females. The females seem to grow slower and much smaller than the males. The females also seem to get stressed after spawning and sometimes die.
Let me know if you guys plan on going looking for banded sunfish this year. I wouldn't mind going out and getting a few.
Let me know if you guys plan on going looking for banded sunfish this year. I wouldn't mind going out and getting a few.
Edited by eLeMeNt, 03 March 2009 - 12:54 PM.
#14
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Posted 03 March 2009 - 01:16 PM
How big are the females you find Mike?
I'll try and measure the one I've got when I get home. They're extremely durable, I'll just net 'em and slap a ruler along side. Won't have pics though, you'll have to take my word, for now.
#15
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Posted 03 March 2009 - 04:04 PM
Peterson's list their size at 3 3/4". I find that funny as it seems to me they tend to exaggerate the size (16" for pumpkinseeds). The Inland Fishes of NY State lists 2" as their maximum with NY's largest being 38mm.
Edited by sandtiger, 03 March 2009 - 04:04 PM.
#16
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Posted 03 March 2009 - 05:26 PM
then again, new york gets cooler than NC or SC, so the bandeds in NY wont be in their optimal growing temp as long as the ones in NC/SC, so 2" seems likely.
38mm isnt larger than 2", so i think you mean 3.8"State lists 2" as their maximum with NY's largest being 38mm
#17
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Posted 03 March 2009 - 07:32 PM
then again, new york gets cooler than NC or SC, so the bandeds in NY wont be in their optimal growing temp as long as the ones in NC/SC, so 2" seems likely.
38mm isnt larger than 2", so i think you mean 3.8"
Nope, the direct quote from the book is...
"Its (E. obesus) maximum size is slightly more than 2 inches. Our largest New York specimen is about 38 mm standard length.
That's from C. Lavett Smith's book "The Inland Fishes of NY State". The book is from 1984 however so perhaps that has something to do with it. Either way its obviously wrong. New York's population however only live in a few places around Long Island and given our winters it is not surprising that they would be small.
#18
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Posted 03 March 2009 - 10:54 PM
The female I have measures ~ 3.8 inches total length [held in hand in net]. She is by no means the biggest Massachusetts obesus I've seen.
Hartel et al in Inland Fishes of Massachusetts [pg 248] says;
"Banded Sunfish rarely exceed 2 to 3 inches TL. The largest Massachusetts specimen that we have seen measures 4.25 inches TL [80 mm SL]"
I think the colder northern temps favor longevity vs the south where they burnout quicker. Banded sunfish thrive in cold water. The Hartel book mentions five year old specimens and I suspect under ideal conditions they might live longer.
I would venture to say those 4 inch five year olds are more common than many believe, at least in prime habitat.
Hartel et al in Inland Fishes of Massachusetts [pg 248] says;
"Banded Sunfish rarely exceed 2 to 3 inches TL. The largest Massachusetts specimen that we have seen measures 4.25 inches TL [80 mm SL]"
I think the colder northern temps favor longevity vs the south where they burnout quicker. Banded sunfish thrive in cold water. The Hartel book mentions five year old specimens and I suspect under ideal conditions they might live longer.
I would venture to say those 4 inch five year olds are more common than many believe, at least in prime habitat.
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