While feeding the fish I decided to try to catch a few. A couple gills were 8-9 inches long but the last one I caught was a whopper at just over 10 inches. Unfortunately I didn't have my scale with me but had to be around a pound and a half. It bled a little during the process, hopefully its ok and I can catch it again.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
Translucent orange margin on the opercular tab is what I saw. Can't really see the size of the mouth very well although it does not look overly large (for a HBG) in the picture.
Not a lot of other GSF characteristics. That is why I ask if it was from a stocked fish or a natural cross. Wondered if it might be from a HBG male x BG female showing only marginal GSF.
Pictures are so hard to tell though. It is sure a lot easier for me when I can have fish in hand. Then things seem more obvious. May be just the picture.
A fish I would be proud to have in my pond at any rate.
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
Standing pat on hybrid. Yellow on fins and red on opercular just say HBG to me.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
I agree with hybrid determination. The gill flap is characteristic of hybrid, although the angle is a little hard to see clearly. The lower edge of the flap has a light orange margin. The back edge is very hard to see. Notice the yellow edges of the pelvic fins. Pure BG do not have yellow edges of the pelvic fins.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 06/23/1610:53 AM.
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I think this photo emphasizes the importance of "it depends".
I've never found a HBG blueprint that definitively provided a correct identification in every case. Some see this photo and struggle to see HBG, yet I see nothing but HBG in it.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
CNBG can have white , yellow and/or orange on their fins and or tails. CNBG genetics have been shown (exhibited) up the east coast as far a Delaware. This led to early genetic misclassification.
I don't see red on gill flap just some blood. My guess is HBG but .. local adaptation is possible and a pond history would sure help.
In the mean time till he does, I caught a few today that might add to the discussion.
First one is a RES, I'm guessing female. But is it a "pure" RES or does it have some "other" in it??? The pectoral fin does not look all that long. The orange tab is not real big and distinctive on this particular fish, but it is a distinctively orange tab (unlike GSF which tends to be a translucent orangish). I still do not know what I am looking at as far as the pharyngeal crushers are concerned. Would like to see a picture of such. Looked in its mouth but could not identify anything. I know this fish does not look like my northern BG, my CNBG nor any hybrids that I know are hybrids. I would not consider it in great condition. It looks kind of skinny to me (compared to my other sunfish), but may be because of recent spawn.
For comparison purposes, the second picture is a similar size BG, the third picture is another BG with considerable different coloring than picture 2 and the fourth is a CNBG that earlier this year had been transferred from my sediment pond. All fish were caught in the same area within a half hour. The fifth and sixth pictures are of the same hybrid. I would normally say it was just a HBG, but the mottled cheek makes me wonder if it might have some RES in it. In the picture it does not show up clearly like it did in real life, but the opercular tab has a distinctive translucent orange around the edge reminiscent of GSF. RESxBG or RESxGSF or BG/GSF?????? Or just call it a mutt???? At any rate, I like it and it went back in the pond. Would not mind having a bunch more like it. I caught some bigger BG, but tried to use pictures of similar size fish.
I will say it again. Looking at these pictures is a lot tougher than looking at the fish in real life. Things that stood out to me as I inspected each fish did not necessarily show up as clearly in the pictures. The coloration change (within less than a minute) of the hybrid would almost make a person think it was pictures of different fish.
Incidentally, all caught using a cane pole from the bank (wife has family reunion tomorrow and fixed up a bunch of cane poles for the kids to fish with, without letting them loose with my good rods ). Had to test it out to make sure it worked! Caught about fifteen fish in thirty minutes so low tech works.
First pic, female RES. second and third pic, male northern BG. fourth pic, male CNBG. fifth and sixth pic, male hybrid GSF x BG. Or BG x GSF.
Oops....that's what I get from posting early.
fifth and sixth pic, RES x BG...or BG x RES. No GSF that I see.
Last edited by sprkplug; 06/25/1606:14 AM. Reason: corrected mistake
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
The one thing that threw me (among many things that throw me) about the hybrid is it has a translucent border to the opercular tab. It does not show up in the picture very well and it not only is the GSF'y translucent orange but it also has black pigment mixed in the border (which makes it especially not show up in the picture like it does in real life). The first picture faintly shows it best.
The mottled cheeks sure made me think there might be some RES involved. That is the only original stocked (I assume it is an original stocker by the size) hybrid that I recall looked like that one. The thirty or so others that I have caught look like traditional BG/GSF.
That body pattern and coloration looks very much like the hybrids I am getting out of my sediment pond that has both CNBG and RES (as well as a few GSF).
It is like the green flecks of the GSF are incorporated within the vertical stripes of the BG. That pattern/coloration shows up vividly in my 2-3" fish that I catch in the minnow traps. It has stayed evident in the 4-5" fish as they have grown. About 6" is as big as any I have got so far.
The reddish/orange translucent ear tab border also prevalent. Mouth size about half way between GSF and BG.
I was hoping for RESxGSF but it is likely they are CNBGxGSF or reciprocal.