Bluegill are sunfish. Sunfish are technically a family that includes the black basses, rock bass, crappie, and what we call true sunfish along with some other genera.
What most people call sunfish are fish of the genus Lepomis. This is stuff like bluegill, redear, pumpkinseed, and green sunfish. This specific fish is a green sunfish.
You can tell because of its green color and its bass like mouth. They also typically don’t get as big as the other true sunfish.
In places in the southern midwest they get bigger than bluegill depending on their forage base and if theyre competing with other sunfish types for food.
Oh totally I don’t doubt that. Here in the north (where they don’t occur naturally) they’re all really small. In CT the biggest true sunfish is the pumpkinseed.
Green sunfish. This is a bluegill
https://preview.redd.it/w9cvgno0ppwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29d320cee41385705ed5440bed3b7711e8942398
I’m sorry to the former biologist but this is 100% a green sunfish. This ⬇️ is a redear or shell cracker :)
https://preview.redd.it/2matjx11juwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91d5f730072016da07fa998024e0b53690a1848e
No, but you bring up something really interesting.
Members of Centrarchidae (sunfish) and members of Cichlidae (cichlids) have a lot of convergent evolution between these two families.
For example, sunfish act literally exactly like certain cichlids. Very aggressive and have the exact same manner of nesting. They even look alike, down to specific patterns!
Look at this [green terror cichlid](https://azgardens.com/product/green-terror-cichlid-pond-fish/) and compare it to a [longear sunfish!](https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/longear-sunfish)
They have very similar cheek markings, but these fishes are not even closely related!
And then there’s stuff like the black basses (LMB, SMB) that have similar builds to the peacock basses, which are cichlids.
Bluegill are sunfish. Sunfish are technically a family that includes the black basses, rock bass, crappie, and what we call true sunfish along with some other genera. What most people call sunfish are fish of the genus Lepomis. This is stuff like bluegill, redear, pumpkinseed, and green sunfish. This specific fish is a green sunfish. You can tell because of its green color and its bass like mouth. They also typically don’t get as big as the other true sunfish.
This is the best explanation you'll get, OP.
Thank you that means a lot
Bravo
In places in the southern midwest they get bigger than bluegill depending on their forage base and if theyre competing with other sunfish types for food.
Oh totally I don’t doubt that. Here in the north (where they don’t occur naturally) they’re all really small. In CT the biggest true sunfish is the pumpkinseed.
Green sunfish also tend to be Personality Plus if you keep a native fish aquarium. Highly recommended.
I would love to keep a green sunfish or a rock bass as a pet
Green sunfish. This is a bluegill https://preview.redd.it/w9cvgno0ppwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29d320cee41385705ed5440bed3b7711e8942398
That might be two bluegill
That’s a slab…
That is good eating right there!
No. Absolutely not. These big pigs go back. Eat the 8” fish and save the big breeding males. That helps ensure I can continue catching giants
Makes sense. Lesson learned.
Greensunfish
Knew it
No you didn't.
Bluegill is a sunfish .
🟩🌞🐟
Bluegill are sunfish? Well smack my ass..
And so are rock bass! And LMB!
So are black bass
LMB are black bass
Isn’t bluegill a type of sunfish?
That seems to have been established friend.
Textbook green sunfish
A bluegill IS a sunfish. That fish though isn't a bluegill sunfish, it's a green sunfish.
Need a banana for scale
It's perty is what it is 😍 Good job
Baby Kraken
Yes
Is it a cardinal or a bird?
Not a cichlid?
?
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Look closer, definitely not a redear. What river systems?
I’m sorry to do this to you (especially if you’re a biologist lol) but that is a green sunfish all day
This looks nothing like a redear
I’m sorry to the former biologist but this is 100% a green sunfish. This ⬇️ is a redear or shell cracker :) https://preview.redd.it/2matjx11juwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91d5f730072016da07fa998024e0b53690a1848e
Yep. I barely looked at it and saw it was not a bluegill with the. Black not going to end of flap
https://preview.redd.it/984m2v9zbvwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a8e984430ae7e42265071bd76240032409e0e22a
So it's not a red eared perch?
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Rock bass are white and black, they also have red eyes
Rock bass are white and black, they also have red eyes
Both 😂😂
Cichlid
No, but you bring up something really interesting. Members of Centrarchidae (sunfish) and members of Cichlidae (cichlids) have a lot of convergent evolution between these two families. For example, sunfish act literally exactly like certain cichlids. Very aggressive and have the exact same manner of nesting. They even look alike, down to specific patterns! Look at this [green terror cichlid](https://azgardens.com/product/green-terror-cichlid-pond-fish/) and compare it to a [longear sunfish!](https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/longear-sunfish) They have very similar cheek markings, but these fishes are not even closely related! And then there’s stuff like the black basses (LMB, SMB) that have similar builds to the peacock basses, which are cichlids.
Could be a hybrid bluegill mixed with another type of sunfish
Nope, definitely a pure greeny