Help ID: molted pattern, radiating lines from black eyes?

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lightnb

Gambusia
MFK Member
Dec 30, 2013
21
6
18
Florida
I found these fish (one 8" and a few 2-3" juveniles) in a small pond in south Florida. I'm trying to figure out what species these fish are, but having some trouble.

It's got a molted pattern and radiating lines from the eyes. It looks similar to the Small Mouth Bass and also close to the Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus), but the markings on these aren't quite the same pattern that I'm fining in online photos of those species, and the warmouth patterning seems to be more red in online photos than these fish are. Plus, the eyes here are black where SMB supposedly have red eyes. They definitely look and behave like cichlids.

Here's some photos:

UKS2.jpg

One of the juveniles, which I think is the same species as the big one above: UKS1.jpg
 
yup warmouth great personality definitely a wet pet single warmouth does well in 40g b . there incredible large mouth makes tankmates hard.
 
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Thanks guys! Have you kept these before? You mentioned they eat anything, but I haven't been able to get them to eat any of the processed foods. My Blue Gill readily eats cichlid pellets but these war mouths ignore the pellets and don't eat flake food either.

I caught a whole bunch of mosquito fish (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitofish) and put them in with the war mouths and they were quickly devoured.

Have you ever gotten any to eat non-live foods and how did you get them to do it? I tried feeding nothing but pellets for a week, but they wouldn't touch them. I don't want to starve them to death...

Also, apparently they have a feature where the front of their face flips open like the dinosaur that killed Newman on Jurassic Park.

Here is the Blue Gill that seems to be doing fine with the warmouths:

DSC_0036.JPG

Also, any idea what these are or what they eat?DSC_0016.JPG
Thanks!
 
wild sailfin molly. try frozen foods 1st then move on to soften pelts then dry.
 
Get them used to eating fish and crickets from your hand,then give them prepared foods like krill.
 
Warmouth, a fantastic fish by the way, attack predator, not very active until you drop in a few live minnows or gambusia :)
 
OK, they will eat freeze dried blood worms now. But when I drop in cichlid pellets, they will come up and grab them, then spit them back out and make a face at me. Where are my worms, give me worms!

Is there a specific brand of pellet that will work well for warmouths? They don't seem to like the taste of regular cichlid pellets, and bloodworms aren't super cheap.

They sell large bags of food for game fish in stocked ponds at a feed store. I'm not sure if it's healthy though? eg. http://www.thepondguy.com/product/the-pond-guy-game-fish-grower-fish-food/437
 
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