Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Bream Identification?

I have noticed when feeding my fish that some of the Bream have vertical stripes like a Tiger and these Bream overall are darker than the obvious other Bluegill that are in the pond. Could it be that I happened to get some Coppernose Bream mixed in when I ordered my Bluegills?

If these are indeed Coppernose will they interbreed with the regular Bluegills and if so which species would be the result? Thanks in advance for any information. Robert Lewis.

In my experience the coloration of BG can vary a great deal, depending on age, sex, water temperature, emotions, and God knows what all. Sometimes they are very pale with no side markings evident. Sometimes the vertical bars really stand out. So the contrasting markings you observed may not indicate any genetic differences. Being a Yankee, I have never seen a coppernose in the flesh, but from pictures the main distinguishing visual difference from (for want of a better term) regular BG is the bar across the nose, not vertical bars on the sides.

If there are coppernose and regular BG in your pond, they are just two varities/subspecies, kind of like northern and florida strain LMB. They are capable of interbreeding; IMO offspring would not be considered "hybrids" between two species, just a blend of two strains of the same species.

RLewis :

Male BG are often darker with prominent vert. lines. Regular BG and CNBG will spawn together with no problems. You could have CNBG in the mix and not know it but probably not. CNBG and BG are the same species just different strains. ewest

Thanks guys! I just went to an identifation chart and it mentioned that males can be darker than the females. From the chart they look exactly like what I saw. This sure is a great site!