Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Longeared Sunfish ? Mutation?

I had no idea that this species was in my pond? I wondered if it is a longear or some mutation. The fish was about 6-7 inches & the gill flap was an inch to an inch & a quarter long & about a quarter inch wide. I can't say that it resembled the fish images that I googled. The flap was the same color as the fish NO dark area of any sort. Perhaps a female? The body color was clearly green, very atttractive. The belly was more yellow but not the red orange seen in the photos.

Aahh a photo? No such luck. Perhaps if I catch another. I was taken by surprise & had no camera with me. I was dog sitting & did not want to leave the fish with the dog nor hassle dragging the dog with me to the house to look for the camera. I was interested in the fish & so was the dog! The fish went quickly back into the water where he was safe. One of those dreaded green sunfish with clown ears?

I answered my question this weekend. I caught a longeared male at dusk. Clearly that is what they are but I am deeply disappointed that they are not brightly colored (red-orange,) only a very pale belly color. They would really stand out in a school of CNBG if they were traditionally colored. No one would ever call these redbreast,red belly.or robin.

I am surprised with all the fishing for bream I have done in this pond at dusk that I have not seen them before. Since the water is now exceptionally clear, I watched a school of CNBG around some cinder block structure. There we two LESF male in a school of about 50 6" CNBG. I have added structure last summer to the pond, it was a 3 acre bath tub. I wonder if this has increased the population & made them more visible. I would love to introduce some colorful LESF & change the population genetics.

If you can get a pic please post it for us to see. It will be interesting to see if you get crosses or 2 separate populations of BG and LES.