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Longear, Red Breast, or Dollar Sunfish?

Started by Guest_stumpy041486_* , Jun 21 2009 08:17 PM

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11 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_stumpy041486_*

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Posted 21 June 2009 - 08:17 PM

Which one is it? Or is it something completely different?

Thanks

Posted Image

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#2 Guest_Kanus_*

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Posted 21 June 2009 - 08:34 PM

Please post your location information in your profile so we have some idea where your fish were caught. It just makes things way easier for everyone.

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#3 Guest_stumpy041486_*

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Posted 21 June 2009 - 08:38 PM

sorry I forgot again

This is from SE Mississippi

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#4 Guest_Amazon_*

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Posted 21 June 2009 - 08:44 PM

Im leaning towards a longear, but im by no means no expert at id'ing so maybe someone can chime in on this one.

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#5 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 21 June 2009 - 08:47 PM

sorry I forgot again

This is from SE Mississippi

Looks like the spangled version of longear that occurs near the Gulf of Mexico in eastern Lousiana and southern Alabama. It is quite different from any of the three types of longear I see in and around Missouri.

Not redbreast or western dollar sunfish.

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#6 Guest_Casper Cox_*

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Posted 21 June 2009 - 08:49 PM

Longear OR Dollar.
I still cant tell those two apart. Dollars are smaller and have a smaller range. Check your Petersons. Some talk about blue or white markings ON the ear, saying those WITH markings are Dollar. Im not sure about this. Both are incredibly beautiful sunfish, my favorite Sunnies. Regarding Redbreast, the white trim does NOT encircle the ear.
Also your fish is "rounder" which is a Dollar trait too.
Anybody else?

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#7 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 21 June 2009 - 08:56 PM

Beautiful fish! I say straight up longear. Some do develope that reddish-orange breast and belly. But as Casper said, there is no white margin on the redbreast earflap.

Edited by UncleWillie, 21 June 2009 - 08:58 PM.

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#8 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 21 June 2009 - 09:00 PM

Longear OR Dollar.
I still cant tell those two apart. Dollars are smaller and have a smaller range. Check your Petersons. Some talk about blue or white markings ON the ear, saying those WITH markings are Dollar. Im not sure about this. Both are incredibly beautiful sunfish, my favorite Sunnies. Regarding Redbreast, the white trim does NOT encircle the ear.
Also your fish is "rounder" which is a Dollar trait too.
Anybody else?

The white trim around the opercular tab does not work for many of the longear populations I am familiar with. The pectoral ray counts do not hold either when trying to distinguish many of the longear populations within the Mississippi Embayment from westrn dollar sunfish occuring in the same areas.

For me, it is something about the mouth that separates the longears from the western dollar sunfish. The mandibles of the longears seem more suited for biting (robust) while the western dollar has a more delicate mouth like a bluegill.

As for redbreast, they have a stiffer and more elongate body that is less flexible when they swim.

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#9 Guest_stumpy041486_*

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Posted 21 June 2009 - 09:29 PM

thanks for all the quick replies.

If this is a longear it is a potential state record. The MS state record longear is 0.14lbs and this one weighed 3oz on my digital scale which would be 0.1875lbs. I was considering putting him in my pond, but I went to go check on him and committed suicide. He jumped out of the bucket with the top on the bucket but it wasn't latched.

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#10 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 21 June 2009 - 10:39 PM

Really? The state record is 0.14 pounds? That seems to be very small.

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#11 Guest_stumpy041486_*

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Posted 21 June 2009 - 10:51 PM

yea I know, that's why I was trying to beat it. There isn't even one submitted for fly rod yet. I may try that also. I'm sure there have been bigger fish caught, but people just don't submit them.

Here is the link: http://www.mdwfp.com.../recordFish.pdf