FishinRod, most likely supply and demand. They don't reproduce as much as Bluegill, more similar to RES. Few(er) hatcheries up North in their native range vs down south where RES grow.

Yes, they also have the pharyngeal teeth to crush snails, but they don't get anywhere as big as RES. Most sizes that we see here are 6", an 8" one is a true MONSTER. They do NOT colony nest like BG or RES, males make a nest that is roughly 3x the size that a male BG of the same size would make. If I can find one in a local lake next month that is spawning I will try to get a picture. A 6" male PS will make a nest that is 24" dia or a wee bit bigger.