# green sunfish or pumpkinseed?



## Trophy Hunter (Dec 7, 2007)

I have a fish in my tank that I've narowed down to either or. It has a red mark on the ear flap like a pumpin. It also has white tips on it's tailfin and a spot on the back of it's dorsal like a green. How do I identify the species?


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## TIGGER (Jan 17, 2006)

I hope this helps you

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/pafish/fishhtms/chap22.htm


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Redear:









Green Sunfish:









Pumpkinseed:










Certain sunfish can cross breed too, resulting in some pretty interesting hybrids.

If you can post a picture of it, it would be very helpful.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

Standard Bluegill









Hybrid Bluegill (Green sunfish X Bluegill)









Here's an F2 Male Hybrid bluegill X Female Standard Bluegill cross


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

gmr river basin it was far more likely to be a green sunfish, pumkinseed are infact quite uncommon on the southern half of the state. fishman that pumkinseed is a longear. 
can you desribe it further or put up a pic?
what you decribe is a green sunfish


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

My bad riverking, I stand corrected  Changed the photo!


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## Trophy Hunter (Dec 7, 2007)

yeah its a pumpkinseed. it does have some green sunfish markings though. do pumpkins have the rear dorsal spot or the white tips on the tail and anal fin?


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Answer these queastions for me as I will consider them like a flow chart.

What area of the state (be specific) did you catch it?
What habbitat did you catch it from?
Does it have a rock bass like mouth, or that of a bluegill?


A picture would REALLY help thought, haha.


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## HalfBass (Jan 26, 2006)

Here is a link to a fish ID guide provided by The Kentucky dept. of Fish and Wildlife. The best part of this chart is that it uses actual photos of fish and not drawn representations. The colors on those charts can really throw you off. It also provides features to look for to rule out other possibilities. I hope this helps. 

http://fw.ky.gov/pdf/kyfishid.pdf?lid=718&NavPath=C101C138


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## Trophy Hunter (Dec 7, 2007)

Thanks HalfBass. The actual photos, as opposed to the illustrations I viewed in research, really made the difference. I can now say with absolute certainty that I have a green sunfish.


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

I've kept them before and they're really gluttons. I've seen a 6" one eat 6 night crawlers in a sitting. Poor thing couldnt even move, just "layed" on the bottom.


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## Trophy Hunter (Dec 7, 2007)

Yeah, the old aquarium is really starting to come together. I have three spotted bass w/ an additional bass that hasn't been identified. Instead of blotches it has tiny black spots all over and is darker than the others. Also it doesn't have the tell-tale green above the broken stripe on the lateral line w/ white underneath. It's just green all over. Maybe that will change as it grows. I'm thinking it might be a spot as well.

In addition to the green sunfish I also have a bluegill. It has very distinct coloring. It may be a bull. _Is there any way to tell?_


The only roughfish left are a stoneroller and two nothern hogsuckers. At one point I had three stripped shinners, five other shinners (unknown species), two more stonerollers, and five golden redhorse. My spots love to eat those redhorse for some reason. I don't know if it's because there not as weary, they just taste good, or what.

I hope to add a warmouth, and a couple rockbass. I have an affinity for Rocks because they remind me of childhood, smallmouth trips to Todd's Fork. I haven't caught many Rocks in recent years. Fishing at Todd's has gone way downhill over the years. I used to catch at least two or three Rockbass each trip as a kid. In the past ten years I have landed only two or three in streams in that general area. Perhaps this is due to all the development in Warren County, petroleum run-off from the new roads, added sewage, ect.. As far as a Warmouth I have only caught just a few in my life. _Does anybody know a body of water to try for Warmouth? _ I have a great spot for Rockies.


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

I've only caught warmouth at 2 places with any consistancy. Burr Oak lake, in SE Ohio has'em and a smaller ponds in one of the subdivisions that surround Charles Mill lake.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

i have seen one warmouth in eastfork lake but i donnot fish it very often, there is also a small population in miami whitewater and a pretty strong population in winton woods, i catch them on acident there on a pretty regular basis. small rockbass are really cool in tanks, they lose some of thier color but they are a neat fish, also since your on the gmr try and find some orangespotted sunfish, they are very small (i have never seen one over 3in) but they may put longears to shame. they tend to live near tribs in shallow areas with less current with some weeds, and they (the males atleast) have pastel orange spots on a floresent blue body


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## Trophy Hunter (Dec 7, 2007)

Mr. Green Sunfish bit the dust. This happened as a result of the suction tube to the filter being knocked off by the Spots. They bang into it repeatiately on their side, then slap it with their tail. After about a month of this they managed to break the tube at one of the seams disconnecting the screeneed fitting at the end. Greeny was sucked up into the filter and died as a result.

This behavior from mosly the two biggest Spots is interesting. I'm thinking it's to establish dominance as I have never seen the smallest Bass do this. They also turn sideways with the same movement on the gravel. I have seen the Bluegill, and the shiners do this as well. That raises the question, "Is this not a dominance behavior at all?" Maybe they are trying to shed excess slim or parasites? Perhaps this is a behavior used to stir up prey and they do it when their hungry? Fish are most, fascinating creatures! 

I'm going to my ultra secret bait-hole today to see if I can find some new residents. My pet Spots have "cleaned out" the tank. I'll keep you all posted.


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## Cordon (Apr 12, 2005)

Since we are on the topic, I always thought these were green sunfish, but after looking at some of the pictures I am starting to wonder. Can someone shed some light for me.

The pond here at my complex is filled with these guys! Really fun on ultralight........


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## Flathead King 06 (Feb 26, 2006)

Cordon said:


> Since we are on the topic, I always thought these were green sunfish, but after looking at some of the pictures I am starting to wonder. Can someone shed some light for me.


DINNER!!!... thanks for catching it for me... man thats a nice one, it looks to me like a hybrid of some sort.... almost like a green sunfish mixed with something...just my thought


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## Cordon (Apr 12, 2005)

Flathead King 06 said:


> DINNER!!!... thanks for catching it for me... man thats a nice one, it looks to me like a hybrid of some sort.... almost like a green sunfish mixed with something...just my thought


Yeah that was a nice one it was actually a Fish Ohio, measured just over 9. I usually fish for bass in these particular ponds and throw nothing but cranks and usually get 4 or 5 of these big fellows to hit the crank a year. Don't "set out" to catch them, but don't mind hooking into them because they put up a nice fight. Plus in 2 years of fishing these ponds I have pulled out a Fish Ohio more than once.


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## LMRsmallmouth (Jan 10, 2006)

Cordon,
that appears to be a regular bluegill to me. The pig bluegills I catch in the local gravel pits have that same deep dark coloring to it. The bellies get brighter orange around spawning time, males like to show off their color. That is a nice one, making me hungry...


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## Wannabitawerm (Apr 13, 2004)

The clearer the water, and the closer to the surface, the darker the coloring. The sun really brings the color out.


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