ewest, thanks for getting me on right thread. I was hesitant to start a new topic, because I was certain such issues have been previously covered (as best they can)... . Out of the 30 or so fish I have caught and transferred, I am hopeful some are female. Although I dont have pics, some of the larger ones caught a couple weeks ago exhibited some type of bright colored (whitish/yellowish) nodules on the basal fins, and their bellies appeared really fat (w/ eggs?). The nodules did not appear to be any kind of parasite, but rather some kind of growth on fin. I probably should have cut a few just to find out, but was too excited getting these lunker perch into pond. another thing I noted was the rapid color changes these fish exhibit. Like a chameleon, when pulled from water and put into white bucket, their skin immediately changed colors (brightened to more yellows than greens), when I pulled them out of bucket at my pond, they darkened up again....had never seen that before.
After reviewing all the threads you provided ewest, my questions evolved into wondering what were the original native freshwater perch species in N.America. the variations are mind boggling. I wouldnt be surprised if we have western varieties of perch that have evolved differently from those back east, like some of the birds (eastern bluebird/western bluebird) so we have "western GSF/BG". were GSF/BG present 200 yrs ago, across the continent or have they been introduced out west here (like German Brown Trout...now naturalized but now called "native" if they were not stocked by Dept. of Fish and Game).
[Rhetorically] has anybody traced perch back into geologic history?? What were the original true species. What species(or sub-species) is closest to the original from which we get all the variations today?........does anybody care as long they grow big, are fun to catch, and good to eat??
