The OHIO DNR gives this description for LES:
Longear sunfish are deep, slab-sided fish with a small mouth. They get their name from their long ear flap, or opercle. There are two subspecies found in Ohio, the northern longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis peltastes) and the central longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis megalotis). The opercle is nearly all black with a white margin. The opercle of the central longear usually runs parallel to the fishes' body and may have several small red spots in the white margin. The opercle of the northern longear is smaller and often points backward at an upward angle rather than being parallel. Northern longears also have a large red spot at the back edge of the opercle. Longear sunfish have emerald blue wavy lines running from the mouth to the rear edge of the gill cover. The back is olive-green with blue-green specks on the side, and the belly is orange, red or yellow. Breeding males are brilliantly colored with the red and blue coloration on their face and body becoming more intense during this period. Females are less intensely colored and do not have as long of an opercle as males. Members of the Centrachidae (sunfish) family. The central longear is typically 4-7 inches, but can reach 9 inches, and the northern longear is typically 2.5-4.5 inches, but can reach 5.5 inches.
So yes, the ear flap is 'funny' it tends to have a swept back look.
The rich yellow belly on my fish makes me wonder about PS genes but searching picture online the heavy turquoise pattern seems pretty strongly LES.
Here are 2 pictures from the ohio DNR page:
I got my RES and LES from Brian Zimmerman. Here is a picture of Brian holding one of his LES 'breeders'
Mine is here, you can see the yellow belly on his and mine. Who knows, perhaps his LES have some pumpkinseed in them too
