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Sumac Creek, North Georgia Apr 25 2009

Started by Guest_khudgins_* , Apr 27 2009 05:18 PM

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16 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_khudgins_*

Guests

Posted 27 April 2009 - 05:18 PM

On my way back from a cookout at a local aquarium club member's place in extreme east Tennessee, we stopped at a local park in Murray County, Georgia that has easy access to Sumac Creek, which is a tributary of the Conasauga River. We couldn't have been more than 10 miles from the state line.

The creek water was warmer that I expected, probably mid 60's, with about 10" of visibility. Much deeper and it was murky, from silt. Representative fish were photographed and released, with no harm to anyone involved. Vegetation was mainly eelgrass in the creek, with the far bank wooded with overhanging tree shade and a deeply undercut bank. Near side was gently sloped, with one section showing a large exposed sandbar that's likely only covered in flood conditions. Stream bottom varied from small cobble to soft silt, with silt bearing a lot of organics supporting some thick slime algae, likely from a very small creek coming from the city park.

The creek is well-used by the public, lots of fishing line left in the creek from locals, but very little trash, so it seems it's at least cleaned up well. There were a few people there, most were interested in what we were doing, and the fishermen tolerated our presence rather well, which was nice.

Fish species we found:
Redbreast sunfish in abundance
Bluegill
Alabama hogsucker Hypentelium etowanum
Unidentified shiner
Numerous small shiners I couldn't catch

I'm sure we missed quite a sampling, there's some things a dipnet and cast net just aren't meant to catch.

Extra credit:
Softshell turtle of some kind, very small
Salamander too small to photograph, less than 1"

Photos:

#2 Guest_BTDarters_*

Guests

Posted 28 April 2009 - 12:05 AM

That's really neat! Nice pics! Thanks for sharing!

Brian

#3 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 28 April 2009 - 03:57 PM

Nice post kh... I sure would like to see the dorsal fin extended on this guy... I have no books to look at right here, but that could be a creek chub... we could have really got into some more fish with a seine for sure...

Those first two sunfish sure look different from each other to me... lot more green in the face of the second one...almost looks dollar/longearish

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#4 Guest_Casper Cox_*

Guests

Posted 28 April 2009 - 04:05 PM

Me thinks that's a Stoned Roller Michael.

Underslung mouth, coarse scales, redish caudal and dorsal fin. Yellow pectorials. Skilled algae scrapers.

Ask President Bruce about Rollers.

Creek Chubs have condensing, smaller scales as they move toward the head. And agressive mouths. Mean.

My Sunnie trio guess, tho these guys are small and more difficult to ID, going down would be Redbreast, Longear and Bluegill. I focus on their ear flaps. Operculs?

Hogsucker could be Northern or Bama. Something about convex vs concave on their forehead. Probably gotta feel for that.

Casper

Edited by Casper Cox, 28 April 2009 - 04:14 PM.

#5 Guest_fundulus_*

Guests

Posted 28 April 2009 - 04:10 PM

Yeah, looking at the mouth, I'd say stoneroller, yer right Casper.

#6 Guest_Dustin_*

Guests

Posted 28 April 2009 - 06:22 PM

That first fish is odd looking. I'd like to hear what Brian Z and other have to say about it. I do know it's not a redbreast. The second looks like a longear to me so possibly the first is a female longear.

#7 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 28 April 2009 - 09:26 PM

Me thinks that's a Stoned Roller Michael.

Underslung mouth, coarse scales, redish caudal and dorsal fin. Yellow pectorials. Skilled algae scrapers.

Ask President Bruce about Rollers.

Creek Chubs have condensing, smaller scales as they move toward the head. And agressive mouths. Mean.

I defer to your expertise, and agree with your description of creek chub mouths...

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#8 Guest_smbass_*

Guests

Posted 29 April 2009 - 10:24 PM

That first sunfish looks to be a Redspotted sunfish Lepomis miniatus (or integrade with L. punctatus), 2nd is a Longear L. megalotis for sure, third is definitely a bluegill L. macrochirus.

#9 Guest_khudgins_*

Guests

Posted 30 April 2009 - 07:43 AM

Intergrade punctatus are known in the northwestern part of the state, mostly in the Chattahoochee and tribs. I've never seen an intergrade myself. What's cluing you in on that? I've never seen a punctatus with any real color, just the standard olive with spots, or dark flanks in the breeding males. Definitely never seen the red bellies in a punctatus - would that be the redspot influence?

#10 Guest_Dustin_*

Guests

Posted 30 April 2009 - 09:00 AM

I do see the redspotted influence there, but the punctatus complex do not have red eyes. Possibly a hybrid?

#11 Guest_jasonv123_*

Guests

Posted 30 April 2009 - 09:19 PM

Your turtle is a Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera)

Mike

#12 Guest_smbass_*

Guests

Posted 05 May 2009 - 10:46 PM

I did a quick look through my miniatus photos and they all have red eyes. I don't see anything in that fish that would make me think hybrid. I just remember the miniatus from that area (was there last June) having less red coloration than ones from further west... that is really the only reason I mentioned integrade, they just have a little bit of a punctatus look, but do look more like miniatus.

#13 Guest_khudgins_*

Guests

Posted 06 May 2009 - 05:55 PM

Fishes of Georgia (http://fishesofgeorgia.uga.edu) mentions intergrades in the area.

Looking closer into it, I see the blue under the eye that indicates punctatus or miniatus. Wasn't aware that was an ID cue until this week. ;P

Is he in breeding colors? I'm not used to seeing them with that much color on their flanks like that.

#14 Guest_smbass_*

Guests

Posted 06 May 2009 - 10:32 PM

They actually can get much more color than that, there was a photo of an amazing looking male posted recently in another thread. I would say it is not in breeding coloration.

#15 Guest_NateTessler13_*

Guests

Posted 07 May 2009 - 12:16 AM

For what it's worth, when I first saw the fish in the first photo, I immediately thought I was looking at a Redspotted Sunfish.

#16 Guest_Casper Cox_*

Guests

Posted 07 May 2009 - 10:30 AM

I sent the pic to Ed a while back and he said...

The little sunnie is not 'mean enough' to be a redbreast. Consider spotted sunfish instead.

I dont see those too often but every once in awhile they turn up in the net. They gotta be bigger for me to ID.

#17 Guest_Dustin_*

Guests

Posted 07 May 2009 - 11:24 AM

Looking closer into it, I see the blue under the eye that indicates punctatus or miniatus.

The blue under the eye was what I was looking for as well. It does appear to have its eye pointed down so that could be obscuring it. I buy that it is a totally redspotted sunfish.