Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Bluegill?

My wife saw the picture and asked about the whiskers. She was serious.

Other than northern climes where RES cannot survive... From what I have read, RES tend to out compete PS. I have seen them all in the same body of water. If I recall correctly, RES tend to push PS to different food sources.

I could prob. swing it & would really very very much like to be at the conference but I'm in a circle the wagons mode with things tightening up & an uncertain future.

Pleading to Dr Dave .... Do the article!!!!!!
I would truly love see Big Cedar & meet all you guys.

CJ, I know RES tend to occupy deeper water than BG, in relation to RES where in the water colum is PS?
What other food sources would PS turn to?

With no BG in the pond there should be enough food for both PS and RES. The PS will be dominated by the RES but should be ok as they will take on the place of the BG. The PS will out reproduce the RES. I would be more concerned that with just SMB that the PS will produce to many offspring and may stunt.

Actually Eric there was a PHD at Illinois Natural History that was studying pumpkinseed bluegill hybrids in Canada. From my understanding he had the DNA for both hybrids and pure pumpkinseeds. I know this because I took in to mount a potential world record pumpkinseed or pumpkinseed hybrid. (It weighed 1 lb. 6 oz.)

The problem was, (I apologize if I posted this already on the site) it got complicated when I took it to a local biologist station to have it identified. One biologist came in late to work and said, "Hybrid!" from 20 feet away and refused to even look at it. The other was more conscientous and took the time to key it out down to the gillrakers. He believed it was a pure pumpkinseed even though it did not have the red tip to the ear tab. It was a dead ringer for a pumpkinseed, but just did not have the red tip to the ear tab.

Anyway, I was left with the dilemna that it now needed to be checked via DNA as these two biologists did not agree. The PHD at Illinois Natural History offered to check the DNA and but then apparently backed out when I wanted to arrange shipment of part of the carcass. That is, he wouldn't answer his emails and wouldn't return my calls.

So to this day we have no idea if it's a world record hybrid pumpkinseed (IGFA said they would make a category if it was), or it tied the world record as a pure pumpkinseed. My state does not even have a state record category for a pumpkinseed.

I'm still miffed at the arrogant biologist that refused to even look at it.

Cecil there are some studies out there and genetic testing done (not full genome but some markers) on some lepomis including PS and a little on hybrids. Most done by PhD's in genetics. Very uncommon in normal fisheries biologists not to mention pond owners.

Interesting you note that even on a potential world record the guy did not do the DNA testing. It is not cheap to have done nor easy to find people trained and willing to do the work. There is really no reason to have them tested as morphological traits will give good answers. I will try to find the results from a study that used jaw bone length to pect. fin length which was IIRC cross checked by DNA and found to have a very high degree of accuracy. Gill rakers are so-so as BG and PS gill rakers are similar.

Thanks ewest, thats the insight I needed. It would be neat to have PS but I think YP will be a better forage for the SMB. If I can find a reliable source for YP.