I feel like the more I learn, the more there is to learn! Thanks for following up on this thread everyone. The pics are worth 1000 words, and the information provided by ewest is very helpful as well. Also thanks to George who provided me with some very nice specimens this year. I'm going to start counting soft rays on larger sunfish and I'll post interesting observations.
I'm still interested in identifying qualities of pure coppernose females.
Variation in phenotypic expression of bluegill is amazing. It's just the tip of the genetic iceberg that we can see, which leaves me in awe as I try to imagine the genetic pool under the surface.
