I had a generous offer from Doug_Dame to check out some of his Killifish spots up in Levy County that I couldn't turn down - so we met up this weekend in the marshes near Cedar Key. I was specifically looking for Diamond Killifish (Adinia xenica), Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus variegatus), and Marsh Killifish (Fundulus confluentus).

Marsh

There were large schools of Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis) and Longnose Killifish (Fundulus similis) as well as Diamond Killiifish and Sailfin Molly's (Poecilia latipinna).

Some of the Gulf Killifish were very large.

Longnose Killifish

Doug managed to net this tiny unidentified flatfish.

I also managed to catch my first Diamond Killifish

Some Sheepshead Minnow and Marsh Killifish turned up in the net, but I was unable to catch any. I did catch some Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) and regular Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) though.

We decided to check out Mule Creek nearby and Doug was able to net a Hogchoker (Trinectes maculatus) fairly quickly.

I managed to catch a bunch of strange looking sunfish. I have posted them below this first entry. Would love to hear opinions on what they are.

Big thanks to Doug for showing me around and helping me get a new species.

I imagine these are all some sort of hybrid with Spotted Sunfish (Lepomis punctatus), but would love to hear what everyone thinks about these. I guess they could just be regular Spotteds, but they don't look like any I have ever seen before.

this one might be a Dollar Sunfish

These look like regular old spotteds to me, possibly in an area that is beginning the intergrade into miniatus.  The other is for sure a dollar.

I agree with Dustin on the integrades between spotted and redspotted. However, I think your other sunny is a redbreast. It does have a bit more patterning than usual, but I've noticed the redbreasts can get funky colors down there in those tannic waters.

Edited by UncleWillie, 24 October 2016 - 02:24 PM.

I stand corrected.  That is a redbreast.  I was so excited about the spotteds with black and red spots that I glossed over the other one.  Good catch Will.

Thanks guys - that makes sense. I am just used to seeing them look a lot different - I guess I have been getting the opposite ends of the scale.

Thanks guys - that makes sense. I am just used to seeing them look a lot different - I guess I have been getting the opposite ends of the scale.

 

Do you have locations for those last two pics?  Also I agree with Redbreast on the more colorful fish father up the thread.  Note the earflap.  Will likely get longer with age.

Do you have locations for those last two pics?  Also I agree with Redbreast on the more colorful fish father up the thread.  Note the earflap.  Will likely get longer with age.

Sorry - yeah the spotted is from Tampa Bay area. This is a standard look for them around here. The redspotted is from Missouri. I haven't had much exposure to redspotted so these are the only kind I had ever seen.

Was fun. Glad to be able to offer a little bit of assistance to our Map-Maestro.

I still haven't found the micro-hooks I bought a year ago, in hopeful anticipation of an opportunity to go micro-fishing one day with someone who actually knows what he's doing. But it was interesting to see this unusual niche of fish-admirer hobby in action. As bait, he's using worm bits that are about the size of a flea, and hooks that are incredibly/ridiculously small. 

Ha. I thought redbreast too. Wasn't going to argue though. I might be getting a bit better at photo ID's. I am much better with fish in hand, Very cool photos and fish, most of which I am unfamiliar with. Need to get into the deep south again.