Vent Sexing

Can it be done with sunfish? I have two greens that I'm planning on letting breed in an outdoor tub next spring, and I want to know if I have a male and a female or if I need to get some more. Also, can this be done on any other fishes, such as pickerel?

I have not done this but I think it is likely possible. I know it can be done on Pikes I actually saw a paper on this one time but I honestly have no idea where it was and again I have no personal experience with this but I do think it is possible.

I have not done this but I think it is likely possible. I know it can be done on Pikes I actually saw a paper on this one time but I honestly have no idea where it was and again I have no personal experience with this but I do think it is possible.

Thanks. I was mainly wondering about pikes, but I also have a few green sunfish and I know they aren't exactly easy to sex by color/fins/etc.

Can it be done with sunfish? I have two greens that I'm planning on letting breed in an outdoor tub next spring, and I want to know if I have a male and a female or if I need to get some more. Also, can this be done on any other fishes, such as pickerel?

Attached are images made today with healthy adult green sunfish. Male would readily spawn in a day or so and female could be made ready in just a few days. Notice urogential opening of female is larger than that of anus while in male the same opening is smaller than the anus. With less ripe females the reproductive opening would appear tighter with an asterisk shaped sphincter in the middle.

Green sunfish male openings with anus to right.
 GREEN_MALE.JPG   58.64KB   13 downloads


Green sunfish female openings with anus to right.
 GREEN_FEMALE.JPG   114.7KB   10 downloads

After squeezing-them-to-please-them you get these goodies. Semen to left and not so ripe "green" ova to right.
 GREEN_GAMETES.JPG   70.67KB   5 downloads

Thanks! That's very informative. I'll have to check on my greens tomorrow. Maybe I'll get lucky and have a male and a female. Is it the same for pickerel, as far as the urogenital openings?

Ok, I checked my greens. One's urogenital pore is the same size as the anus, and the other is a little smaller and has the asterisk shape you were talking about. These are unconditioned fish, as they are outside and they have slowed down and stopped eating as much because of the temperature.