Anyone familiar with sunfish?

[Cheifwalnut]

theres a small pond in the parking lot where I work that I frequently go fishing in. I've only ever seen pumpkinseed sunfish and largemouth bass, and the occasional turtle, but today I've seen something different walking back to the shop. It had the same general shape of the sunfish I frequently see but it was almost black in color and it's top find were far more "spiky" looking. Was wondering if anyone could help I.D the little guy

 

[suckerfish]

I was going to say crappie. But, that doesn't look crappie ish. Lol

 

[Cheifwalnut]

It's identical to the usual sunfish, just black and spiky.... I have no idea

 

[Pumpkinseed]

It's identical to the usual sunfish, just black and spiky.... I have no idea

The picture is not good enough to say for sure.

Sunfish, and rock bass, and crappie can all change color to a degree. From time to time I will fish a dark one out, and within a minute or two in the bucket they are back to normal. I've also seen sunfish become really dark when sick.

Although I've never seen one that dark, my guess would be Pumpkinseed. I have seen really dark green sunfish, and rock bass, but the shape is wrong for either of those.

 

[Belial]

its a bluegill

 

[divemaster99]

What's the general location? That almost has the profile of a Mud Sunfish but they're not the most common fish out there.

 

[Pumpkinseed]

It's a Bluespotted Sunfish!

https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=377

 

[Deadliestviper7]

If so nice find!

 

[Lepisosteus]

I’d vote warmouth but tough to see in pic.

 

[Moontanman]

It's a Bluespotted Sunfish!

https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=377

Not a Blue spot, looks like a dark bluegill... Usually they do not turn dark over a light background, this makes it look unusual...