What do you think this is?

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J

JDS

Gambusia
MFK Member
Nov 27, 2005
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WESTERN MASS
I caught the couple days ago in a swamp that was starting to dry up. at first I thought they might be banded sunfish. But on closer examination they don't have the round tale a banded should have. Now I'm wondering if there across between a redbreast and a banded.
 
I'm not sure if it's a green or not. They're not to common in this neck of the woods. Plus these fish are not very big 4 inches tops. And they were breeding.
 
It's a green, and the breeding behavior at a small size sounds like a green also. They are notorious for stunting. I have personally seen breeding populations max out at 2.5 inches. The light margin around the anal and soft dorsal are a good ID characteristic. Also the large mouth, and somewhat elongate body. Also greens have been introduced in so many areas, that range maps cannot be trusted.
 
The following pic is a fish I caught in the same place as the fish above. The fin markings are exactly the same as the fish above. But the body markings are totally different. I thought this might be a northern long ear. But I'm not too sure about that either. It could possibly be a pumpkin seed. I've never seen one with that type of color.
 
I agree that it's a green sunfish. Just so you know.....redear and banded are different genus which would make a a hybrid especially rare if not nearly impossible.
 
The Green crossed my mind also. The thing that threw me off was the size and location. And these were caught in western Connecticut.


Do you think the last picture is across between a Green and something else.?
 
Dang! You spoke hybrid too soon. The second fish, I would bet money on is a Pseed x green. No Pseed has a mouth like that!
 
My first post (#6) was started before your second set of photos.

I can't deny the last fish has some color that resembles a P'seed abut as Skipjack said....no P'seed has a mouth like that. No P'seed has a white outer edge to the anal fin either. Greens should not have color in the opercle flap. I'll ignore the color on the flanks....

Since I'm not a fan of hybrids....I'd call that one funny looking green sunfish;)
 
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