Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Copper nose and Northern Bluegill Cross?

I recently stocked 15,000 / 3" - 6" copper nose bluegill in my lake. Can you tell me whether or not the copper nose I stocked will cross breed with the existing Northern strain bluegill I have in my lake? When copper nose are stocked in a lake do they create a hybrid like Northern and Florida Bass do so that eventually you end up with a dominant gene type fish?

With an existing Northern bluegill population in a lake, do you then continue to just stock copper nose? Northern bluegill are the most commonly available fish in my area and the lowest cost.

Thanks!

Dave

Dave :

There is not much written info in the way of studies on the BG/CNBG questions you raise. What I have seen indicates that like LMB they spawn with no regard for subspecies. The offspring like LMB would not be hybrids (as in HBG) as they are the same species. They should retain the qualities of BG and not show hybrid vigor or depression as in crosses. I have not seen any info on either BG or CNBG having or creating a dominate gene or different gene type fish. Both have been in our ponds for over ten years and there has been no indication of a problem with the approach. We try to keep a balance of the 2 in our stocking efforts. The big difference between the 2 is the better performance in colder climates/water of BG over CNBG and the laters somewhat larger size in warm climates/water.

Eric:

Have you seen any evidence of BGxCNBG intergrades?

Theo I am not sure what they would look like. To my knowledge no study has been done on this like the many on LMB. There have been a couple of studies comparing them one vs the other but not a word on intergrades. We had a topic a few weeks ago with pics to try and show what CNBG look like and the ways to visually tell them apart. If anyone has such info on genetics or intergrades I would like to look at it. I am not even sure if the genetics have been established so that they can be distinguished that way and/or the % of a cross.