Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Fish ID help

This small fish came from a pasture pond that was supposed to have only bluegill and fatheads in it. With the noticeably large mouth, I thought that it might be a rock bass or green sunfish, but the coloring is wrong for those. Can anyone id it ?

The coloring is not necessarily wrong to be a green sunfish or green sunfish/bluegill hybrid. The reason being it is so light in color due to the environment it came from and that it's a juvenile. Definitly not a rock bass.

I will go out on a limb here, but if you got your bluegills from a supplier I'll bet this green sunfish bluegill hybrid was mixed in. That's what I believe it is.

When were the fish stocked and where is the pond? This looks like it may be a stunted fish of some age (older than body size would indicate) but poor body condition. Head size is to big for the body. There does appear to be some lighter brown/yellow tint to the fins. It could be a HBG as CB1 notes (a few HBG or even GSF in a batch of BG happens more than us ponders would like). I agree color at this size and condition does not preclude HBG or other mix with BG. If this pond has been stocked for several years with only FH and BG then stunting may be part of the answer.

The fish came from a 1 acre pond that was built about 1 1/2 years ago, and intended to be a forage pond only. I dumped at least a thousand bluegill in the pond that I aquired from a fish farm. I had hopes of eventually trapping and stocking other ponds with the forage fish. The pond has been fairly clear and was fertilized regularly last year.

That fish has a lot of green sunfish genes in it and it could be pure green sunfish. It has a low length to height ratio common in GSF.

I concur with Bill.

Ewest,

Stunted or not the mouth is much bigger than a regular bluegill. Look as how far the mandible comes back in relation with the eye! I've seen enough green sunfish to see the GS genes too!

Here is a thought, typically when fish stunt due to over crowding it is very common for head and mouth to grow while the rest of the body does not. IMO it could be just a stunted BG with a large head, I base this simply on the coloration.

CB1 :

I agree and thought my post concurred. My post would have been clearer if in this order.

The color does not preclude it from being a HBG or GSF and note it has a yellow/brown tint to the fins which is indicative of HBG or GSF.

The fish looks stunted based on head size relative to body size. The mouth is to big for a BG that size.

I am trying to get a pic which I have of a GSF that size to post but have been unsuccessful so far. It shows what you describe and the color variation.

I vote stunted BG.

Greenies and their hybrids have the fluorescent-looking pectoral and anal fins.

Squeeky - can you get another picture? I would like to see what one of these mystery sunfish looks like after it has been in a black bucket with clear water for 10 minutes, this mystery sunfishes colors should become more pronounced rather than somewhat washed out after being in a black bucket for a short time. I have done this before with some of the black grain buckets we use for our horses.

Squeeky, how is the rest of the fish population? Can you do some sampling to determine if this fish is unique?

If you are not removing enough to use as forage, expect more of these and possible other problems. I've twice killed everything in 1/4 acre ponds due to neglect resulting in fouled water. However, it should be a little early for you to have a crowding problem.

The pond has no signs of life in it - almost like the dead sea. That's why I was checking to see if anything was still there. I put the trap out yesterday and caught about 50 bluegill in about a 5 hour period, and didn't see another greenie in the bunch. The fish`all looked normal except for the lightness in color. Maybe, that is due to the somewhat less than clear water condition because of cattle intrusion.

Ewest, and all moderators, get yer mod skills warmed up, as I'm not very diplomatic, or smart, and just say what I think. Ready? OK, I've seen a very similar fish in my pond. and bein a little paranoid, I don't want ta have a pond full of F247 pink moonfish. I'm almost sure this thang reverted back from either a Snakehead hybrid, or a walkin catfish. Either way, I'm gonna Rhotenone(spellin) my pond, the feeder creek, all surroundin feilds, and possibly lake Erie ta make sure ta eliminate ANY possibility of future generations of this dreadfull invader!!! Hope I have'nt offended anyone who has spent countless hrs, and effort ta develop this hideous creature, just ta harass us pureists. Oops, this should be at the top, but too much effort ta edit, this is just "my opinion". I would sign this Bergermiester, but do'nt know how ta disguise my posting name. Bob-O (Probably politically correct)

Bob-O, I'm not exactly sure of what you just said, but unless your pond is in some type of hermetically restricted biosphere, there will probably always be something in there that you don't want. There's no guarantee that your hatchery fish don't contain an undesirable fish or two. Restarting from scratch everytime you find a bad fish can be a very expensive and never ending cycle
Shorty, I can't another pic since the little vermin in now history. I dropped him in my wife's water feature last night, and saw the cat with him this morning.

aaahhhh, yes...Ol' Squeeky can be sooo refreshingly candid
...takes me back to the Stepford Fish