Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Bluegill ID

I am one of those Texans that calls all of the bream or blugill "perch". Is there a source to look at to identify what types are in the tanks. The one's that I caught Sat. in one of the tanks were Greenish backed, yellow stomach , and had real light blue streaks around it's mouth. Overall apperance was dark except the stomach area, but real attractive fish.

http://www.rodsavers.com/the_sunfish_family.htm

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/nreos/wild/fisheries/topics/fishidentification.html

http://www.dgif.state.va.us/fishing/virginia_fishes/sunfish.html

Here's a couple of sunfish identification links, hope this helps .

thx Jimmy, will check them out

From your description; very likely the fish was a green sunfish. Light blue to blue-green streaks radiating across lower gill cover is a key character for green sunfish.

Bill, you were right. I checked out the sites and it is a Green Sunfish. Now the next question is , are they ok? Or what are the drawbacks compared to others.

If you go to catagory "Questions and Observations" and then choose topic "Green Sunfish" I think you will have all your questions answered.
Ric

Will do Ric, thx to all.

Sounds like a Warmouth.

http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/okwild/misc/warmouth.html

Hey Bluntpount, you are right on. That looks exactly like them. Ok, now what the heck is their biggest drawback... ? Thx for ur help guys..

Warmouth are considered "trash" fish. If you keep a healthy balance of bass/bluegill in your pond, they will not become a problem.

I have seen alot of ponds with warmouth, I have never concluded that warmouth were causing dramatic fish population problems. they seem to coexist pretty well. I would not intentionally stock them.