Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Blue Gill Identification

My wife and her dad caught these from our pond. I thought I may have stocked some warmouth from a local lake. I also bought 250 hybrid bluegill that I was told was coppernose. They were grown in KY, where I live, so I doubt this is accurate. Plus no of them have the copper color above their nose along with the hump back. From the pictures looks like one is a cross between a redear and a warmouth, it will be the one with orange on the fin tips. Any help identifying what I have is greatly appreciated. Also if it matters the fish bought were 2.5 - 3.5 fish 4 years ago. The ones caught 4 years ago were about 4 inches at time introduced to the pond.

Number 3 and 4 look like a pumpkinseed green sunfish cross.

To me #1 and #2 look like male northern BG, #3 and #4 look like Hybrid BG.

Top 2 look like pure male northern BG. Bottom 2 look like gravid female GSF but they do look a little "off" to me. Perhaps HBG x pure GSF? Gill raker photos would help...

Bottom ones definately got some greenie in them..

I'll throw in my two cents worth...

Pics 1 and 2 are unquestionably male, northern BG.

Number 3 appears to be a gravid female HBG.

Number 4 looks like a male HBG to me. The breast color is darker orange, and the "hump" on the breast is more defined. My female HBG have a much more streamlined transition from lower jaw to stomach. Just like pic #3.

One more thing.. Hybrids typically outgrow BG for the first couple years. Judging from their shape, long and slender, they appear hungry. They should be almost as "tall" as they are long. Are you providing supplemental feed? The native fish appear thin also, and not just because they're spawning.

1. = BG
2. = BG
3. = HBG
4. = HBG

I think Fish 1&2 are BG both males. Fish 3 & 4 are HBG (BGXGSF) both probably males. After putting both pictures side by side and closely looking at both 3&4, fish3 is slightly lighter colored than fish4 but not enough IMO to not be a male. There will always be some color variation among mature males and I think we are seeing it here. Considering the predominance of males in the HBG population good changes are both are males. A knife would verify the sex. It is really hard for me to see if fish3 is significantly plumper and carrying eggs than fish4 or not.

Gotta say one thing, all of the fish look healthy. I had to lay down on my desk to properly view the photos but other than that they look great.

Thanks guys for the input. I was thinking fish 4 may had some RESF in it due to the red on the gill flapper. I always called sun fish with the yellow on the tips of the fins warmouth. Am i wrong or do they not have that yellow on the fins?

As far as a gill raker photo, what is that and I will have her snap one next time. Fish 1 & 2 are what I bought from the fish truck and were supposed to be hybrid fish, I didn't think they were.

Thanks again for all the help.

The green streaks radiating back from the mouth usually mean either GSF or Pumpkinseed. Yellow fin tipping (when combined with the green streaks) usually suggest GSF (or GSF hybrid).

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Looking at your photos I think that the bottom two fish are swimming around with some GSF genes in them (as in hybrids). (I feel confident in saying this because Bill Cody already said it).

I don't know much about Warmouth but I don't think they normally contain the green streak coloration radiating back from the mouth.

One of the traits of HBG are yellow or white/gray on the fins. Biger mouth. Blue mouth streaks.

http://wiscfish.org/


GSF
Mouth and snout: Mouth Terminal, large and oblique, with pads of small teeth on the jaws. No barbels. Body patterning, color, and scales: Back dark brown, olive, or green, sides yellow-green or blue-green, belly tan or yellow. Sides either with a more-or-less solid color, faint dark blotches or mottling, irregular faint light blue or yellowish SPOTS, and/or diffuse dark vertical bars. Sometimes 3-5 bluish lines radiating backward from underneath the eye; opercular flap dark with a light margin. Dorsal, caudal, and to a lesser extent anal fins usually darkly pigmented with faint dark blotches or light dark spots and often a light yellow/cream margin; pelvic and pectoral fins lightly pigmented to dusky. 44-51 ctenoid lateral scales. Body shape and size: Body laterally compressed and deep, somewhat elongated; oval in cross section. Typically 75-150 mm (3-6 in) TL; maximum in Wisconsin about 250 mm (10 in).

Tail, dorsal and other fins: Slightly Forked or round tail. Dorsal fin with 2 lobes, broadly joined by a membrane and appearing as one fin, the first with 9-11 spines and the second with 10-12 rays. Pelvic fins thoracic. Adipose fin absent. Anal fin with 3 spines and 9-10 rays.

GSF There are 9-12 short and thick primary gill rakers on the 1st arch.

BG
BG There are 13-16 moderately long primary gill rakers on the 1st arch.

HBG
Hybrid of green sunfish X bluegill: Notice intermediate appearance of gill rakers


These should help

GSF



GSF gill rakers



HBG


HBG (Bg x GSF) gill rakers





PS X BG


PS X BG close up


PS X BG gill rakers


GSF X BG gill rakers


PS gill rakers - short and thick 9-12.



PS X GSF

Definitely regular ol' male bluegills in photos 1 and 2. Photos 3 and 4 look like green sunfish or green sunfish hybrids.

DonJ - I doubt you're going to get your wife to hold the gill open to get a picture of the rakers. If so that wife of yours is a really GOOD woman. You will have to do the messy work and get wifey to be the photographer.

Bill your right. Gonna be about a week or so. I will try and get this gill raker photos. LOL