Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Black Bluegill anyone...

This might be something discussed before, but for two days straight at my feeding station on my 4 acre pond I saw what appears to be a bluegill that is solid Black. I just recently stocked 60lbs of Tilapia and 1000 CNBG about 3 weeks ago but don't remember seeing it in those fish although I couldn't say I was actually looking that close.

Anyways, by watching it swim it resembles a bluegill in shape, not a tilapia but once again this is just a visual observation. The only thing that is a little noticable is all of its fins look a little longer than normal. This may be due to the fact that they are more visible under the water due to their dark nature.

If he/she is present again tomorrow I'll take a photograph. It doesn't appear to eat pellets as much as the other bluegill but when it comes to the surface it is a striking black color. Its a new one for me.

I bet it's blind. Responding to feeding from sound and smell.

I'll second that. I've had black yellow perch and trout and they were blind.

I wonder why lack of sight would cause a pigment change.

Lack of info going to the chromatophores, I presume.

Its raining right now but I'll try to post a picture when I get a chance. It appears to be around 5" long. Maybe it will make is but I really don't know how it made it this long if it is indeed blind.

Interesting. I have one bluegill who's blind in one eye. He's almost always different color on both sides of himself. He's an aggressive feeder, and if the water conditions (light & clarity) is such that all the BG are really dark, his one blind side is always very light - while the other side is dark like the other fish.

I bet his good eye side is the same color as the others and the blind side not.

exactly

I'm trying to hand feed around this one thats solid black, and yeah he does appear to be blind in both eyes. I'll just have to see if it will make it. Its almost out of danger for the size bass i have.

photoreceptors trigger a fish's automatic response to its surroundings. In light-colored water, such as muddy ponds, fish are always a lighter color. In darker water (clear), fish are dark. That's why I think the bluegill is dark. It's blindness is interpreted as dark, therefore the fish is dark.

We captured 2 black (blind) channel catfish in some small 0.1 acre fish research ponds. It was after one summer of growth. Out of at least 3,000 fish the black ones were still in about the top 20% growth-wise. Apparently for catfish in a pond without predators being blind isn't a disadvantage.