Eric,
Now I suppose it might have been a hybrid between a BG and a LES. But if so, then someone other than me put in the upper pond. I would mention that I have fished extensively in our area both ponds and streams and I have not yet caught a redbreast sunfish (though I do know they occur as an invasive further south of us here). Also I have never caught what has appeared, at least to me, to be a BGxLES hybrid. Of course the cross could occur but the fish I put in the pond was definitely an LES with standard local markings. I really do think I caught the same fish one year later. A bit more context, this fish was bedding and in full breeding color. There were also BG beds surrounding it and some of the these BG were larger than the LES. But this LES' bed, fanned out of bed of chara, spanned one and a half times those of the BG (some of these BG were between 9 and 10 inches in length). The fish had a lot of bright-blue throughout the length of its body and on the opercule which is apparent in the photo. I am certain this fish has Longear genes in it and think it is probably a pure LES also.
Last edited by jpsdad; 03/04/21 01:57 PM.
