Warmouth

Here is one from Northern Florida. It too has the red edges to the fins and the speckling on this one looked like the bright blue spots on a breeding male bluespotted sunfish. I caught this one off a nest in the Suwanee R. and I know it is not the greatest picture. I wish I had a better one of this guy because it was a really nice looking fish.

 warmouth_suwanee_river_florida_5_25_06_by_BZ.jpg   58.19KB   0 downloads

That's beautiful. It looks pretty darn similar to Marks greenspotted one.

Yeah that is definitely one of the best looking ones I've ever seen.

Yeah that is definitely one of the best looking ones I've ever seen.

I think Brian touched that image up with photoshop. To pretty to be real.

That is a _very_ odd fish. Got any more photos of it?

being more cautious??? what about that little green, what do you think so far??

Who knows, we may end up having warmouth split into subspecies like longears and bluegill because of the vast regional variations.
I'm definitely proud of my baby. I'm hoping to get him to spawn next spring if I can ever find a local (I'm picky when it comes to my breeders coming from the same locality) female.

That's a good idea. I would also be interesting to sample a lot of mature fish from that locale to see if others display the color like that first on. I'm a little suspicious of whether it's a pure blood warmouth.

Mark

The first pic is the coloration of spawning males in a lake here in central IL. They turn black and metallic blue only while on beds.
All of mine have a similar pattern but differing colors. The warmouth that started this thread definitely is a complete different variant than anything I've seen with an unorganized mottled pattern unlike the bars I'm familiar with. Mark is your green spotted warmouths an isolated group or are all of them in IN have that pattern? The red fins may be a local strain - my green warmouth is from a clear running rocky creek in TN and they all had red caudal tips. I would also be interested to see how different florida warmouths are. It may shine some light on the unique pattern and maybe the red fins.

I haven't seen enough mature Indiana fish to know if that one is typical, but it does seem to be common across the country for mature fish to have greenish spots like that one. I've seen them in Huntsville Alabama like that, and elsewhere.

Mark

Mark, have you or anyone else seen photographs of warmouth from Florida? I understand they are different although I have yet to see any other than the juveniles (<2") we have in the lab. The source population of the fish starting this thread maybe in part derived from such a stock.

I've collected them in Central Florida (Lake Placid - town). Didn't get any really big ones. But the ones I got were dark, with an overall reddish tint and with a deep red spot at the posterior base of the dorsal fin. Also seemed to have a distinctive body shape, less deep, more elongated, and large head and mouth. Maybe they were just under fed. Don't know. Were taken in very heavily vegetated margins of a large lake (Grassy Lake).

Mark

I'm pretty sure they're pure warmouth, as I've caught 2 or 3 similar looking individuals.

I'm pretty sure they're pure warmouth, as I've caught 2 or 3 similar looking individuals.

Fishlvr,

When will you breed those interesting warmouth to see what they throw?

That's a good idea. I would also be interesting to sample a lot of mature fish from that locale to see if others display the color like that first on. I'm a little suspicious of whether it's a pure blood warmouth.

Mark

It's looks pure to me but I'm not familiar with the sunnies outside my area. What could it be crossed with?

It's looks pure to me but I'm not familiar with the sunnies outside my area. What could it be crossed with?

I think it is pure. Every warmouth hybrid I have seen excepting that with green sunfish lacks the lines radiating from the eye. It is not cross with redear or bluegill based mouth size. Yes stripes are odd but you got some interesting endimics down there so why not have a local warmouth.

I think it is pure. Every warmouth hybrid I have seen excepting that with green sunfish lacks the lines radiating from the eye. It is not cross with redear or bluegill based mouth size. Yes stripes are odd but you got some interesting endimics down there so why not have a local warmouth.

You wouldn't happen to have a picture of a warmouth x green?

You wouldn't happen to have a picture of a warmouth x green?

I though I posted some a while back but I can not find them in searches of forum. I still have live specimens left over from an experiment of some warmouth x green and I think some warmouth^2 x green now pushing 8". If I can get ducks in a row I will photograph again and post. They are much bigger and more colorfull than last time photographed.

I am curious to see one with the radiant lines from the eyes.

Edited by natureman187, 04 November 2008 - 10:37 PM.

I am curious to see one with the radiant lines from the eyes.

Natureman187,

Your fish looks like my hybrid green x warmouth. The radiating lines of hybrid are apparent only transiently when the fish are relaxed. The green sunfish color pattern seems to cover the warmouth pattern up in the hybrid. Also the hybrid lacks much of the color changing capabilities of warmouth.

Natureman187,

Your fish looks like my hybrid green x warmouth. The radiating lines of hybrid are apparent only transiently when the fish are relaxed. The green sunfish color pattern seems to cover the warmouth pattern up in the hybrid. Also the hybrid lacks much of the color changing capabilities of warmouth.

Does the green vermiculation stay with the radiating lines or is it a trade off?

Does the green vermiculation stay with the radiating lines or is it a trade off?

The vermiculation if same I think from warmouth is present in hybrid but greatly reduced. They appear to be a dull greenish warmouth that can not change colors like a warmouth.

We appear to have lost our hybrids made about a year ago otherwise I could make new photographs of those animals for posting. I have to train a new crew before we start working with valuble fish so for practice we will make a few quality green x warmouth and warmouth by hybrids including triploids and rear them in a pond for a month or so to color up for photographs before preservation for use as vouchers. The first lot was raised indoors and was green x warmouth and green^2 x warmouth only.

Edited by centrarchid, 05 November 2008 - 03:46 PM.

Fishlvr,

When will you breed those interesting warmouth to see what they throw?

If the small 2" one I have turns out female, as soon as she gets ready, which won't be too long since they breed around 3". If this one doesn't turn out, I'll probably have to end up waiting until next year when all the female fatten up and aren't hiding right before spawning. After spawning season I rarely find females for some reason.

I think it is pure. Every warmouth hybrid I have seen excepting that with green sunfish lacks the lines radiating from the eye. It is not cross with redear or bluegill based mouth size. Yes stripes are odd but you got some interesting endimics down there so why not have a local warmouth.

The only suns we have locally are 'gill, warmouth, and redbreast, so the chances of these being hybrids is unlikely