Originally Posted By: Bruce Condello
It would be really interesting to know your opinion on the bluegill that I catch down at Lusk's that look just like our northern bluegill but have bright red eyes. It's the only characteristic I can identify as being different. They don't look anything like coppernose variety (that I can tell) in any of their other characteristics.


Literature states that the eastern range of the specisus subspecies would be the Red and Arkansas Rivers in Texas, Okla and Ark. So, if Bob's places is west of those drainages, the bluegill subspecies native to his area is the specisus subspecies. If he is east of there it would be macrochirus.

I have found after having caught bluegills in dozens of different drainages, there is a huge variance in coloration even among the same subspecies. This is true for many other species of Lepomis as well.