Fish I.D Help.

[TheBeastInside]

Today I went fishing and caught a few bass and sunfish. But I'm unsure what species of sunfish this is. It is very abundant in a lake near my house and is rarely bigger than 6 inches. I'm guessing most of you will say these are bluegill. But they seem to small to be bluegill. Can someone please help me out?

 

[MN_Rebel]

These are either young or stunted bluegills

 

[Creek_stomper]

They do have a good amount of bluegill traits, including fins spots on that are visible on some of them. Not sure though, they don't seem to have the right shape/coloration for any natives I'm familiar with. I'd say bluegill stunted due to something in the habitat, possibly a result of bad stocking.

Josh H

 

[fatboy8]

Honestly it looks like a possible bluegill rockbass hybrid due to the dark color and eyes but if not a stunted gill

 

[MN_Rebel]

Actually, they are stunted bluegill judging from the size of big eyes they have.

 

[TheBeastInside]

Thanks for the help. They seem to be bluegill but I have seen a few hundred of them and none of them are over 6 in. Kind of wanted to get to the bottom of it.

 

[MN_Rebel]

Do this lake has some big bass or any predators? They will prey on smaller sunfish and control the overpopulated numbers.

 

[WahooWillie]

My guess is the pond is choked full of aquatic veg.

And yes, they are bluegill.

 

[TheBeastInside]

Do this lake has some big bass or any predators? They will prey on smaller sunfish and control the overpopulated numbers.

No. The bass in the picture was the biggest I've caught in the lake. I've been fishing in this lake for a few years. I've LMB, A huge pacu, plecos, oscars, gars, spotted tilapia, mayan cichlids, and those sunfish.

 

[TheBeastInside]

In the summer it's usually full of algae.