Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Different Bluegill

Can anyone describe to me the difference between Coppernose, Native and Hybrid Bluegill?

Thanks in advance.

The Coppernose is a southern subspecies of bluegill that orginated in peninsular Florida and is found throughout the south. The Native is typically the other one (also know as northern bluegill among some of us), which is not the Coppernose. A hybrid bluegill usually refers to a commericially available cross between a bluegill and a green sunfish. However bluegill can hybridize with several other Lepomid species.

Can anyone add some pictures? Eric?

First, God created the regular Bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus. He stocked them in waters all over the country, actually in several slightly different varieties that we tend to lump together. They do really well in cold Winters, look gorgeous, and can get nice and big.

Next, he wanted something special to catch when he was on vacation in peninsular Florida, so he created the Coppernose Bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus purpurens. It's even more colorful, may get even bigger, and can do well up to the Mason-Dixon line or so. But CNBG can't handle prolonged cold water temperatures, so you won't find them in Ohio, Nebraska, and so forth up North.

God occasionally creates Hybrid Bluegill by matching lonely Bluegills up with mate from other sunfish species such as the Green Sunfish, Redears, and Pumpkinseeds. Man often initiates these crosses himself, most usually the BGxGSF which is what we normally call a HBG. The commonly commercially available BGxGSF is colorful, aggressive, and has a bigger mouth than a BG/CNBG of the same size, which can give it a growth advantage (being able to eat bigger pieces of food) for the first year or so of life. HBG do not actually get as large as BG or CNBG if given equal food resources for equal numbers of fish. HBG do spawn, but they do not produce exact replicas of themselves, and they produce much lower numbers of offspring than BG/CNBG (in large part because most HBG are male), so they do not make good forage for bass.

In a situation where BG numbers are not well controlled, the lower offspring numbers of HBG can make them a better choice as they are less apt to overpopulate and stunt. They are IMHO best used as a put-and-take fish, utilizing limited numbers of predators to controll their few offspring , and restocking with more true HBG when numbers are depleted.

Who wants to post or link to identification pictures? I gotta run.

Good question. I can answer one part of it for you. Hybrid Bluegill or HBG are a cross between two different Bluegill. Most commonly the cross is between Green Sunfish GSF and a standard northern BG.

There must be an echo in here.

Geez guys, at least get details right, your standard "hatchery" HBG is a cross between a male BG and a female GSF.

From the archives http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92482#Post92482

BLUEGILL




COPPERNOSE BLUEGILL



see also One Nice Coppernose - http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=002562;p=1#000000

CNBG variation Fla vs Ark - http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=004532;p=1#000004





HBG = BLUEGILL/GREEN SUNFISH HYBRID



see also HBG pic/question - http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=1341&Number=14459#Post14459

Shorty, what they do in the privacy of the hatchery is none of my business.

Yeah Shorty, you voyeur.

(just ignore my posts; I'm trying to beat Theo to 10,000)

ewest I might be wrong but the first pic looks like a cnbg as well?

Yep, I admit it, I like to watch!

Calvin that's one of those Condello strain bluegills from Nebraska. Why do you think it looks like a CNBG?

Yep, that's definitely one of my fish.

Standard bluegill from Lincoln, NE......plus a little genetic tweaking over seven generations.

Ill have to post a pic of one of my cnbg. They look just like that.

I can't wait to see your BG after 15 generations.

Even if they do, you won't have Bruce's arm holding it. I'd know that wrist anywhere. (TMI? )

Gee, I think I'll just delete the thread with photos of my lil ole brim.

Oh I thought those were when you first stocked them.

Ouch! Cecil, one day you will see their brother and sister in your mail box to be mounted as 2 and 1.5# respectively. About the time you will be getting 11# Darlene to mount.

I was just ribbing you Burger. It's all in fun.

I have no doubts about you getting them that large.

A 10 # plus Darlene from the arctic circle I have my doubts about. But if it happens I will be delighted for Dwight.

That purple hue one in the first pic look alot like the ones I transplanted into my pond from a small state lake. Anyone know if that purple is normal for a (true) Bluegill? Growing up, we vacationed in N. Michigan and Dad was a big Bluegill hunter. Seems there were at least three distinct types up there. We called them Bluegill, Sunnies, and Punkinseed.

I've seen that purple hue on bluegills from various waters but not always. One lake that I distinctly remember seeing that hue is in Lake St. Clair spawning males.

You do know a pumpkinseed is a totally different species right?

Yeah,

Unfortunatly the Taxidermist that mounted mine painted it up like a typical Bluegill. It wasn't his fault, as the fish was in my deepfreeze for 2 years before my dear Wife took it to him to be done as a surprise birthday gift. Guess the old boy never seen a Pumpkinseed. The Pumkinseed is the most colorful of all the species IMO. BTW the fish was weighed on certified scales and was just shy of 1 pound! It qualified for a Michigan master angler award.