What type of sunfish is this?

[warmouth]

Hybrids happen, but they're not so common as all that. I think it's just regional variation within L. macrochirus.

You could be right......Im not really sure; as soon as I can take the time to figure out how to post pictures Ill post some from a couple of weeks ago.

 

[kzimmerman]

It also could just have a little longear, but I think more likely that it is just geographical variation. Most Centrarchids are fairly reginal in appearence, and in fact, by ponds in an area.

 

[kdrun76]

I would have called it a long ear sunfish. It has a white margin on the opercular dot. Blue gill don't have that. Lepomis megalotis do. It also lacks the black dot at the caudal end of the second dorsal fin that is diagnostic of blue gill.

That would go a long way toward explaining why its so orange too.

 

[Noto]

Are we looking at the same picture? I see no white margin, just the border between the more opaque bony portion of the opercular tab and the thin, fleshy border. I see a posteriobasal spot in the dorsal fin (faint, but visible in the first picture). The fish also has the very long, pointed pectorals typical of bluegill and a few other sunfish (but not longears) and a hint of the juvenile barred pattern (not present in adult longears).

 

[szymon328]

no you're alll wrong!! i know what kind it is
its lunch for my large mouth!!

haha i second this

but the sunnie in the pic is proly a special looking blue gill with a rounder head than im used to, look at the second pic

 

[gazelle]

no you're alll wrong!! i know what kind it is
its lunch for my large mouth!!

id say its lunch for my Dats but their not big enough

 

[warmouth]

It also could just have a little longear, but I think more likely that it is just geographical variation. Most Centrarchids are fairly reginal in appearence, and in fact, by ponds in an area.

Your right, but their are exceptions....bluegill have been stocked in Mo. where there was only Central Longear before and in these areas I have cought Hybrids, and in Arkansas they stocked Redbreast years ago but after doing some research I found out you cant find any anymore but every once in awhile people find Redbreast x Longear hybrids in the same river.