Sunfish I think - But what kind?

Hi, new to nanfa and new to collecting.

I made a few minnow traps after seeing a couple promising very small creeks/ponds. One was an outlet of the main creek, and was almost all creek chubs. The other was seperated since water was low, and had lots of tadpoles and small fish, here are some pics of the fish. It looks like a sunfish, but I'm having trouble identifying what kind it is.

Location is S. Central WI. Wiscfish.org has info on what species are around.

Looks like a young green to me (L.cyanellus).

yea it has a very large mouth and the coloration is similar to that of a green, very colorful little guy

yea it has a very large mouth and the coloration is similar to that of a green, very colorful little guy

Thanks for the ID guys! I caught a bunch of 'em just holding a bucket submerged at a 45degree angle with some bread in it then lifting it up when the fish go inside it. All were the sunfish, and just as colorful.

Really surprising since it's a really really small pond, 10'X 20', maybe 1-2' deep at most. Lots of tadpoles too.

Can these fish be kept in a small tank, say 10gallon, if they are a small size? Although the creek nearby has creek chubs which would probably be better suited for a beginner like me.

Edited by GreenLakeYak, 03 September 2009 - 08:24 PM.

Thanks for the ID guys! I caught a bunch of 'em just holding a bucket submerged at a 45degree angle with some bread in it then lifting it up when the fish go inside it. All were the sunfish, and just as colorful.

Really surprising since it's a really really small pond, 10'X 20', maybe 1-2' deep at most. Lots of tadpoles too.

Can these fish be kept in a small tank, say 10gallon, if they are a small size? Although the creek nearby has creek chubs which would probably be better suited for a beginner like me.

yes, for a short time for a small group of fish as time goes on you will need a bigger tank and more time for them. please do not keep them then let them go.i would say this fish is a hybrid Lepomis Centrarchidae of some kind.

Edited by CATfishTONY, 03 September 2009 - 09:02 PM.

maybe green X bluegill or a green X pumpkinseed because of the striping (and possibly some red on the end of the "gill" [opercular i think its called] tab), thats what i think anyways

yes, for a short time for a small group of fish as time goes on you will need a bigger tank and more time for them. please do not keep them then let them go.i would say this fish is a hybrid Lepomis Centrarchidae of some kind.

Yes I understand that and that's why I'm taking my time ID'ing the fish and learning what would work best or what I'd like best. I don't think I'll start a tank until I learn a lot more.

Look like little greens to me, I don't think they're hybrids. A 10g would only work for a short time as these fish can reach between 8-12". Creek chubs also get pretty large 6-8" and sometimes larger. There are other natives better suited for a 10g however, any other fish you catch with any frequency?

yes, for a short time for a small group of fish as time goes on you will need a bigger tank and more time for them. please do not keep them then let them go.i would say this fish is a hybrid Lepomis Centrarchidae of some kind.

Ohh no!!! Not the Hybrid Lepomis Centrarchidae!!! There just green sunfish

Look like little greens to me, I don't think they're hybrids. A 10g would only work for a short time as these fish can reach between 8-12". Creek chubs also get pretty large 6-8" and sometimes larger. There are other natives better suited for a 10g however, any other fish you catch with any frequency?

I've really just got started, so I'm still finding what's out there. I know for sure there are rock bass, yellow perch, near my pier at our lake house, however those are all pretty large too. I was actually going to just keep a 10gallon for creek chubs during the week, then bring them up to the lake for live-bait, not sure how bad that is for diseases though.

GreenLakeYak,

Welcome to the forum from a fellow Wisconsinite! I hope you find your stay both enjoyable and informative! I'd have to say that your fish looks like a Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). Nice find! I do have to let you know that keeping game fish caught by any means other than hook and line is illegal in Wisconsin. And sunfish are considered "game fish" here in the state. If you want to keep natives that you collect, you'll have to get a permit, unless you have one already. In any event, I don't think that keeping game fish you collect in a minnow trap is legal, even with a permit. Sorry! If you have any further questions, please give me a call. My phone number is in my signature line. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Brian