ebspeciesfishing's Favourites

Thought I lost these photos from last year! Glad I found ‘em. This is a hybrid lepomid. I’m as certain as certain can be without a DNA test that this is an F1 wargreen (L. cyanellus x L. gulosus). It’s likeness is also very similar to this hybrid type published in Childer’s Hybridization of Four Species of Sunfishes - 1967. Caught from the rocks along the shore.

The mouth size remains very large, the pectoral fin does not even extend to the posterior edge of the eye, and the gill rakers remain long and thin as is seen on both parent species. The first two traits would usually be smaller (more intermediate) if hybridization with another lepomid had occurred.

The dorsal spines remain short, which is typical of both parent species but more so on green sunfish. The dark mottling in the median fins is very warmouth-like and the orange-white margins on the median fins is very green-like.

The dark radiating lines from the eye that are typical on a warmouth are a bit confused and mashed together. No well-developed tooth patch was on the tongue like is seen on warmouth, but that has been documented as common when warmouth hybridize with other lepomids.

11.9 cm TL. 3 anal spines, 9 anal rays, 10 dorsal spines, 9 dorsal rays, & 13 pectoral rays (L). The low anal ray and dorsal ray counts match well for green and warmouth.

Released after photos.