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My Bluegill

Started by Guest_dsaavedra_* , Dec 18 2009 04:46 PM

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37 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 18 December 2009 - 04:46 PM

this is my bluegill i've had since january. its about 6" now. can you guys tell from looking at it if its a male or a female? i'm leaning toward female but i'm really not sure.

let me know if you need other pics.

100_5925.JPG 1.02MB 2 downloads

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#2 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 18 December 2009 - 04:58 PM

this is my bluegill i've had since january. its about 6" now. can you guys tell from looking at it if its a male or a female? i'm leaning toward female but i'm really not sure.

let me know if you need other pics.

100_5925.JPG 1.02MB 2 downloads

Looks like a female. You still need to confirm by squeezing for gametes or testing for male behavior. Former best.

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#3 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 18 December 2009 - 05:32 PM

dsaavedra

Are you going to attempt propagation?

Edited by centrarchid, 18 December 2009 - 05:33 PM.

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#4 Guest_panfisherteen_*

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Posted 18 December 2009 - 06:39 PM

i think he is just wondering since i think it has been bugging him, i would think if he were to propogate fish he would propogate his p-seeds since he's pretty sure he has a male and female combo

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#5 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 18 December 2009 - 08:02 PM

Looks like a female. You still need to confirm by squeezing for gametes or testing for male behavior. Former best.

i don't trust myself to squeeze gametes... what kind of "male behavior" could i test for?

dsaavedra

Are you going to attempt propagation?

nope, just wondering. mainly just so i can have an idea of what colors to expect out of it.

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#6 Guest_Burbot_*

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 01:02 AM

nope, just wondering. mainly just so i can have an idea of what colors to expect out of it.

well I would say that fish has stunning color for a bluegill already. I am hoping to find one this summer for my tank at home too.

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#7 Guest_Radioguy_*

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 10:15 AM

well I would say that fish has stunning color for a bluegill already. I am hoping to find one this summer for my tank at home too.

She looks almost identical to mine Burbot....she's getting to be a little too large on me all of a sudden. Caught her almost 4 years ago at La Barrier Park, and she shares a tank with a Northern Long Eared Sunfish from the Shoal Lake area ... he's really super-colorful, but highly aggressive and I have a tank divider to keep them apart. A 35 gallon tank is becoming a small place for her, and likely this summer I'll need to find a new home for her.

Regrettably, I don't have any pictures of "my kids" with me to post.

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#8 Guest_Burbot_*

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 01:41 PM

She looks almost identical to mine Burbot....she's getting to be a little too large on me all of a sudden. Caught her almost 4 years ago at La Barrier Park, and she shares a tank with a Northern Long Eared Sunfish from the Shoal Lake area ... he's really super-colorful, but highly aggressive and I have a tank divider to keep them apart. A 35 gallon tank is becoming a small place for her, and likely this summer I'll need to find a new home for her.

Regrettably, I don't have any pictures of "my kids" with me to post.

well I am aiming for La Barrier to find one too, thanks to your tips. I still can't believe I spent my life within half an hour of bluegills and crappies, and never knew it until you and Brownbullhead told me. I got to expand my horizons. I would love to see some pictures when you get the chance.

how large is your bluegill?

Edited by Burbot, 19 December 2009 - 01:41 PM.

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#9 Guest_Radioguy_*

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 01:53 PM

Just off the top of my head and looking at a ruler, probably about 8 inches and she roughly 3 inches when I caught her by angling with a tiny piece of worm on an over-sized circle hook about 75 feet downstream from the bridge.

Those circle hooks are great for catch and release, as they almost always get the fish in the side of the lip, virtually never swallowing the hook. With the barb pinched down you can grab onto the hook shank with needle-nose pliers and just twist the hook and flip the fish back into the water without touching it ... works very well for our purposes of observation and fun.

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#10 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 05:44 PM

what "male behavior" could i test for?

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#11 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 06:27 PM

what "male behavior" could i test for?

Do search on "spin up" or "spin-up" in respect to stimulating males to dig. If you have a few sunfish and at least a couple confirmed females in good condition, then you can test to determine if fish is a nest building morph male. Not all male bluegill will dig and spin-up, especially if the male is a cuckholder.

Back to squeezing. In my experience, males with female appearance will produce a large amount of milt with minimal squeezing effort. Otherwise most likely a female.

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#12 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 07:02 PM

i only have one bluegill, my other sunfish are pumpkinseeds and a redbreast. they wouldn't stimulate the bluegill to dig would they?

still don't trust myself to squeeze my fish lol.

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#13 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 09:39 PM

i only have one bluegill, my other sunfish are pumpkinseeds and a redbreast. they wouldn't stimulate the bluegill to dig would they?

still don't trust myself to squeeze my fish lol.

If your bluegill is a nest building male, then a female either pumpkinseed or redbreast will stimulate male courtship behavior. Do you have the ability to isolate the bluegill in question?

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#14 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 10:50 PM

i have a 5 gallon tank set up that i could use, but that would be pretty small for a 6" bluegill...

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#15 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 10:58 PM

i have a 5 gallon tank set up that i could use, but that would be pretty small for a 6" bluegill...

Yes, too small. You are now back to squeezing. How important is it that you now gender?

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#16 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 11:44 PM

its not TERRIBLY important, i'm just really curious, as i want to know what colors and physical appearance i can expect out of it as it reaches maturity. i don't trust myself to squeeze the fish.

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#17 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 20 December 2009 - 11:34 AM

Your bluegill is almost certainly not the nest building morph of male, therefore by 6" it has acquired final adult coloration. I must say your fish is in excellent physical condition; scales and fins are all intact.

Edited by centrarchid, 20 December 2009 - 11:34 AM.

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#18 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 20 December 2009 - 12:05 PM

well thats a bummer, i really like the deep hues of the nest building males.

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#19 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 20 December 2009 - 12:36 PM

When selecting for bluegill males of the nest building morph, look for individuals with a larger than average opercular tab.

See the following examples of southwestern bluegill which are quit similar to what you will be looking for in northern or northern coppernose bluegill of your area. I am not certain what type of bluegill you have but the east coast variety at least into the Carolinas is more consistent with coppernose culture characteristics even though coloration approaches that of northern bluegill (darker and lack of copper to purple band on nape). It is very likely you have a mixture owing to stocking by private and public managers. Do not trust the absence / presence of yellow on breast, especially if coppernose is in the mix.

Male nest builder morph

BLUEGILL SOUTHWESTERN CIBILO CREEK MALE LATERAL.JPG 4.44MB 1 downloads

Female

BLUEGILL SOUTHWESTERN CIBILO CREEK FEMALE.JPG 2.66MB 0 downloads

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#20 Guest_dsaavedra_*

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Posted 20 December 2009 - 12:41 PM

i caught this bluegill when it was about 2", tiny and see through, and i wasn't really thinking ahead about what kind of colors i wanted to get out of the bluegill. now i've had it so long i've become attached to it and i wouldn't get rid of it for a male. oh well.