Originally Posted By: catmandoo
 Originally Posted By: Cecil Baird1
 Originally Posted By: catmandoo
All right -- I'll be the first to bite.

How can you tell that is a redear instead of a bluegill?


Because the article says it's a redear (shellcraker)and I've already seen the picture?

 Originally Posted By: catmandoo
Cecil -- why do you do things like this, especially at this time of night?


Not sure what you mean Ken?


There I was -- ready for bed. And Cecil, very matter-of-factly states it is a redear sunfish. There was no way from the photo that I could tell that fish from a bluegill, except for the writeup. I kept wondering what those taxidermy eyes saw that I didn't.




Let's not put that picture in the Common Pond Fish Primer (sunfish edition) archive.



Actually Ken there are some things that made me take notice right away that it wasn't a bluegill, or a normal pure strain one. One is the scale sizes in proportion to the body. As a taxidermist I have noticed redears have larger scales in proportion to their bodies than bluegills. Next time I skin out a couple I will take a picture of both side by side to show you all. Or perhaps Eric can post a couple? Put two bluegills side by side of the same size and it will be obvious.

I also see a lighter margin on the ear lobe of this fish.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.