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I happen to pull up a minnow trap that had three fish about the same size I thought would be good to post to show the differences in fingerling BG, HBG and GSF.

These three fish came out of my sediment pond where I am getting a significant number of natural HBG spawn. I get the rare GSF fingerling, quite a few more of the HBG, a few RES, and lots and lots of CNBG from the original CNBG and RES stocked in this 1/10th acre sediment pond.

I will tell what I believe the fish to be in the first picture based on what I see. Then let the experts correct or add to my description of what they think they are. The rest of the pictures will be of the same three fish but in different order because they kept jumping around while I was trying to get pictures. My phone is an old one and does not take the greatest pictures, but I like using it because I do not have to resize them to get them to upload.

First picture the top fish is a BG (likely CNBG because that is what is stocked in this pond, but high water events do let my small northern BG swim up the overflow so the potential is there for it to be a regular BG but odds are against it).

First picture middle fish is one of a significant number of naturally occurring HBG I am getting from this pond. There were a few GSF snuck into this pond (I have caught a few adults) and have spawned with a BG. It is harder to tell from this picture on some of the features I will describe, but in person they were more evident. The mouth size of this fish is intermediate from the top and bottom fish. It has the vertical bars of a BG but notice the more elongated shape than the top BG. On the opercular tab there is a slight orange translucent border showing GSF influence as well as some less defined green bars below the eye reminiscent of a GSF.

First picture bottom fish is a classic GSF that I have seen and trapped hundreds that look exactly like this one from my old pond. More fusiform elongated shape, Large mouth compared to a BG (closer to the size of a LMB of that size), distinct green bars on the mouth area under the eye, No vertical bars except for the slight amount near the top of the fish. If you look closely, the bluegreen flecks the GSF is known for its coloration are actually lined horizontally. Though they are very small, there will be a horizontal line of mostly green flecks alternating with lines composed of the other colors of the fish. Notice the tinted lower fins, in this case reddish. Sometimes I also see a yellow tint to the fin borders on the larger GSF. Never see a tinted border on regular BG, although my larger CNBG tend to have a white border tint. But never reddish or yellow.

All the remaining pictures are the same fish (but not in the same order as they were jumping around) for more angles of view. Wish I was a professional photographer so the pics were better than they are. But I think you can see most of the differences in the fish. I also wish I would have had a fingerling RES and LMB in the same picture.

I'm guessing the fish to be about 2.5" long. This size readily goes into a standard 1" opening minnow trap. The high water from recent rains raised the water up enough so these fish along with a few others went in this trap that was left on the bank the night before. When I saw the three different fish together........... photo op! grin

I welcome additions and corrections to my descriptions.

Edit: notice the last picture description which was added later. RES pictures further down the thread in another post. Second edit: After seeing hundreds of both pure RES and RESxGSF hybrids, the picture is definitely a hybrid. I have raised these up to 8" now and the hybrid is more evident as the fish get older. Green bars on the cheeks are one giveaway.

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Last edited by snrub; 11/10/17 11:11 PM.

John

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Thanks so much for sharing! Will be following your thread. I just asked the question about telling the difference and it was shared to make sure I get BG and not HBG when I pick up my fish this friday.


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Nice,Snrub!. If you have the opportunity in the future, how about sticking something easily recognizable in with the fish, so the newer members have something for size comparison?


"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.
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A penny or quarter would have been good!


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Here is a RES the same size as the other fish but with a quarter beside it. This fish is out of my forage pond which has RES, FHM and GS in it. I'll post this one back up in the other thread as well.

All that is supposed to be in this pond is RES, but now that I am looking at the picture (did not notice it in person) it looks as if it could have a touch of GSF in it. The orange tab is definitely a RES coloration and unlike the translucent orange border of a GSF. I'm going to call this a RES with the possibility of perhaps some GSF genetics in it. I have caught one GSF fingerling out of this pond out of 30 or so RES fingerlings to date this year caught with a minnow trap. mad

Maybe I am getting my GRES hybrids I have wanted without knowing it????? crazy Maybe I just have all mutt ponds.

Edit: 4-29-17 that fish is definitely a hybrid. I get about half and half hybrids and pure RES out of this forage pond. I have learned better to tell them apart since this post was originally made.

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Last edited by snrub; 04/29/17 09:26 PM.

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The more I trap and catch fish out of my forage pond (that should only have RES, FHM and GS in it) the more I am convinced there is some GSF genes that are showing up in the offspring. I just see some faint green bars below the eyes on some of them and those green flecks in the body. Then occasionally will get one without those markings and it looks like a pure RES. They all look like RES genetics because the orange/red ear tab is just too solid looking to not be RES. GSF have a more translucent border. No BG in this pond.

Tis puzzling. Fortunate for me is that I wanted some GRES hybrids. I just did not think it was going to be from this pond. smirk The adult RES I catch from this pond look like pure RES. I have been transferring quite a number of the fingerlings over to my main pond so as they grow and I catch them again either they will look more like pure RES or if they are hybrids I should be able to better tell.

Some pictures below. Sun was so bright my phone did not always take the best pictures. Also a picture of one of the brood stock that likely created some of the fingerlings.

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Last edited by snrub; 09/02/16 11:15 PM.

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Caught a couple of larger fingerlings out of my forage pond tonight using my Gee's minnow trap with an enlarged opening (around 1 3/4 or 2" instead of the standard 1" opening).

These I am relatively certain they are RESxGSF hybrids. There are no BG in this pond and never have been. There was supposed to be no GSF but I have trapped a few fingerlings that looked full GSF. So somehow my RES only pond got contaminated.

These two fingerlings are slightly larger than the ones earlier this year so it is easier to see the GSF green bars on the cheeks (below the eye and behind the mouth). Mouth looks a little large for a RES but not nearly large enough for a GSF. Previously I have caught in this trap both what looked like pure RES fingerlings and also these hybrids.

The last picture is of a hybrid I caught out of my main pond tonight. Since I have transferred fingerlings into it from both this forage pond (which could only be RES hybrids) and my sediment pond (which could be either RES or CNBG hybrids) I can not be certain which pedigree it is. But it could be one of these GRES (RESxGSF) hybrids.

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Last edited by snrub; 09/21/16 12:08 AM.

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Similarity Index
Bass, Rock Moderately similar
Bluegill Small juveniles very similar, adults moderately similar
Pumpkinseed Small juveniles very similar, adults moderately similar
Sunfish, Green N/A
Sunfish, Longear Small juveniles very similar, adults moderately similar
Sunfish, Orangespotted Small juveniles very similar, adults moderately similar
Warmouth Small juveniles very similar, adults moderately similar


Green Sunfish by WiscFish


Body
Mouth and snout: Mouth Terminal, large and oblique, with pads of small teeth on the jaws. No barbels. Body patterning, color, and scales: Back dark brown, olive, or green, sides yellow-green or blue-green, belly tan or yellow. Sides either with a more-or-less solid color, faint dark blotches or mottling, irregular faint light blue or yellowish SPOTS, and/or diffuse dark vertical bars. Sometimes 3-5 bluish lines radiating backward from underneath the eye; opercular flap dark with a light margin. Dorsal, caudal, and to a lesser extent anal fins usually darkly pigmented with faint dark blotches or light dark spots and often a light yellow/cream margin; pelvic and pectoral fins lightly pigmented to dusky. 44-51 ctenoid lateral scales. Body shape and size: Body laterally compressed and deep, somewhat elongated; oval in cross section. Typically 75-150 mm (3-6 in) TL; maximum in Wisconsin about 250 mm (10 in).
Fins
Tail, dorsal and other fins: Slightly Forked or round tail. Dorsal fin with 2 lobes, broadly joined by a membrane and appearing as one fin, the first with 9-11 spines and the second with 10-12 rays. Pelvic fins thoracic. Adipose fin absent. Anal fin with 3 spines and 9-10 rays.
















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I want to add to this thread that last fall I was fishing my forage pond for some adult RES brood stock to restock my sediment pond which had a fish kill. While fishing it pretty hard caught a couple large (7-8" as I recall) GSF, which explains where the RESxGSF hybrids were coming from. There were not supposed to be any GSF in that pond.

Here is a link to my forage pond thread where I was trapping quite a few RESxGSF fingerling hybrids with pictures.
Forage pond thread starting at fingerling trapping RES andhybrids

Thread about when I discovered GSF in my old pond. Lots and lots of small GSF pictures throuhout the thread.
100% Green Sunfish




Last edited by snrub; 02/09/17 08:13 AM.

John

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I'm going to start a collection of links, as I run across them, for fingerling sunfish ID. I will edit this post with each new link and add it right here. Will start with an excellent picture of RES by Shorty. Others feel free to add links or pictures of fingerling fish ID to this thread.

RES fingerling picture by Shorty

Last edited by snrub; 02/09/17 08:27 AM.

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Some more hybrid pictures. At times I second guess myself if they are actually hybrids or just natural variations of GSF. Then I catch an honest to goodness GSF and the difference becomes evident.

It just so happened I caught a HBG today in my old refurbished pond that I questioned. Thought it was a hybrid, but just was not sure. It happened to jump off the hook and land in the grass so I just left it there. Then the next cast I caught a GSF the same size. It gave me the opportunity to snap the pictures below showing the comparison. Once I had a real GSF to compare, the hybrid became evident.

These are small fish, only 4 or 5 inches long. And I am going to call this hybrid a BGxGSF or in other words a HBG.

HBG top, GSF bottom

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20171021_160504.jpg 20171021_160521.jpg
Last edited by snrub; 10/21/17 10:47 PM.

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Two RES fingerlings and a GSF fingerling for comparison. Small fish are about 1.5" and larger one is around 3" estimates.

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20171109_144507.jpg 20171109_144457.jpg

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Some fingerlings I trapped yesterday out of my forage pond. I would not guarantee it, but it appears to me there are two GSF in the bunch of RES fingerlings.

One GSF at the far end of the trap in the upper left corner of the top group of fish. One GSF in the lower group of fish just to the left of the larger RES gills (Second small fish up from the bottom of the picture).

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20171110_133353.jpg 20171110_163810.jpg
Last edited by snrub; 11/10/17 10:22 PM.

John

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