Your attention to detail is phenomenal. The engineering construction/building inspection professions could be a perfect fit for your talents. But I too love the fisheries sciences, even if I'm an amateur at it. I'm a retired industrial chemist. But I studied native S. Texas species for over sixty years.
Really enjoy your content! Please continue! When you've discussed the gill rakers, this seems as if must be pretty specific (that I can envision) to preferred prey species. This is somewhat based upon observations of both what I think I've witnessed and the bait/lures that each tend to prefer. For example, from personal experience and reports, it's difficult to catch Red Ear sunfish, or as it's called in many areas of the Southern US, the Shellcracker on artificial lures. Contrast this with a species with very different gill rakers that take artificials more readily and tend to be in environments that seem to have more 'active' prey species apparent such as insect larvae. Now my observations aren't terribly scientific but has some differention been documented? Please keep up the content.
Thanks Charles and yes, you are pretty spot on. Catching redear is more tricky on artificial baits, especially in summer. And indeed the gill rakers play an important role in holding food organisms when a fish is feeding; the long/thin rakers on green and bluegill do well holding smaller, more planktonic food items. So bluegill really have a diverse diet and when eat pretty much anything that moves. Young redear will also consume a lot of planktonic items before maturing. But adult redear sunfish tend to specialize on clams, mussels and snails hence the popular common name for the species in the south and the species' short, thick rakers. There have been plenty of studies showing the diet preferences of lepomids at different life stages, but it's more difficult to find studies on artificial lure preferences. I guess we rely on fishing forums/media/buddies to figure that out. I do know that if redear are in a body of water without bluegill or say spotted sunfish, they will more readily switch their diet to consume the other 'extra' prey items because that ecological niche isn't filled. It seems the redear more readily take artificial baits in that situation too--at least in some pond situations I'm aware of. It's a great question and it's something I've actually been working on before releasing my redear sunfish video. Right now I have been trying a plethora of artificial lures on these summer redear to see what entices them the most. So far, a live worm/leech is still the golden ticket but I have had a bit of success with a spider mimic wet fly and a drop-shot rig with a soft plastic. But the lures that do better in spring and fall don't seem to do much. So...I'm exploring this topic for sure.
I would...but I hardly even log into the KNFS Facebook. However I do recommend posting hybrid pics to iNaturalist.org as I check that quite frequently as well as other biologists/fish ID experts (among other people too.) It's free and you can tag @koaw in your observation's description or in a comment on the observation to notify me and I'll take a look. Cheers!
Loving this I've caught several hybrids maybe now I can identify them better while fishing the wilds of Virginia what's really interesting Is a hybrid pumpkinseed tends to look a bit like a green sunfish wondering if millions of years ago these species are all perhaps hybrids and would explain why there are so many different related species green sunfish and pumpkin seeds and redears tend to have the same blue markings
Thanks Chris. Yeah, the evolution of this genus has become more clear. And that's a good thought but it's more likely that the ancestor of all lepomids had that blue streaking. Around ~24 million years ago species of lepomids starting evolving from the ancestor; eventually the green sunfish would evolve from one end of that split and pumpkinseed from another. So either the ancestor had it or it evolved independently in each of 'em.
So interesting! Like reading a mystery book. This video made me think...are hybrid infertile? Since there seems to be such vigorous interbreeding in small pools, how do the non-hybrids retain any breed integrity at all? I looked up how sunfish breed and learned that males build snazzy nests to attract the female. A female will accept the invitation and lay her eggs in the nest, which then is protected by the male until hatching. Lots of skullduggery from competing sunfish and predators factors in, as well. My question is whether the markings of the male matter at all to the female. Again, if any old guy will do if his nest is sufficiently attractive, how do breeds continue? And if markings do matter, what would convince a female to crossbreed? In other words, how does all this diversity come about?
Sarah Larson I think only a female sunfish can answer some of your questions. But I found it very interesting to watch the chief biologist for the fisheries programs in Oklahoma discuss the reason sunfish hybridize much more readily than black and white crappie. It has to do with the larger mixture of species and their closeness in typical sunfish spawning bed places.
Heya Sarah. Great questions. Yeah, it has been proven that hybrid lepomids are capable of producing viable offspring. The occurrence of that happening is just much rarer than the already uncommonness of a hybrid's existence. Hybrids have fewer eggs/sperms and often deformed eggs/sperm. So at an anatomy level they are already at a disadvantage to reproduce. Then there are the behavioral barriers that block their reproductive success. Pure species are more likely to mate with the same species. There are specific mating rituals and body patterns/colors that females are looking for that are often not quite right on a hybrid male; inversely, females behaviors in mate choice may also be skewed. (Though not much research has been done on that.)
@@KNFishingSmarts , this would explain why hybridization doesn’t just continue exponentially. Are hybrids constrained in other ways? Can they move as well as their parents? Digest food as well? Do they live shorter lives or grow more slowly or perhaps to a smaller size? Do fish grow forever? Your hybrid was much more attractive and similar to its parents than the hybrid you compared it to.
Remember that the main hybrid page is here for quick reference ► www.koaw.org/hybrid-lepomids
Good luck!
Your attention to detail is phenomenal. The engineering construction/building inspection professions could be a perfect fit for your talents. But I too love the fisheries sciences, even if I'm an amateur at it. I'm a retired industrial chemist. But I studied native S. Texas species for over sixty years.
Dropping the fish knowledge like always - love it!
Thanks David! I'll work on getting your cool warmouth specimen photo up on the site this week. Thanks again for letting me use it!
Consistently awesome. I always look forward to these. Can't wait for the carp one to drop
Once again, much appreciating the positive feedback. Cheers Ian!
Really enjoy your content! Please continue!
When you've discussed the gill rakers, this seems as if must be pretty specific (that I can envision) to preferred prey species. This is somewhat based upon observations of both what I think I've witnessed and the bait/lures that each tend to prefer. For example, from personal experience and reports, it's difficult to catch Red Ear sunfish, or as it's called in many areas of the Southern US, the Shellcracker on artificial lures. Contrast this with a species with very different gill rakers that take artificials more readily and tend to be in environments that seem to have more 'active' prey species apparent such as insect larvae. Now my observations aren't terribly scientific but has some differention been documented?
Please keep up the content.
Thanks Charles and yes, you are pretty spot on. Catching redear is more tricky on artificial baits, especially in summer. And indeed the gill rakers play an important role in holding food organisms when a fish is feeding; the long/thin rakers on green and bluegill do well holding smaller, more planktonic food items. So bluegill really have a diverse diet and when eat pretty much anything that moves. Young redear will also consume a lot of planktonic items before maturing.
But adult redear sunfish tend to specialize on clams, mussels and snails hence the popular common name for the species in the south and the species' short, thick rakers. There have been plenty of studies showing the diet preferences of lepomids at different life stages, but it's more difficult to find studies on artificial lure preferences. I guess we rely on fishing forums/media/buddies to figure that out.
I do know that if redear are in a body of water without bluegill or say spotted sunfish, they will more readily switch their diet to consume the other 'extra' prey items because that ecological niche isn't filled. It seems the redear more readily take artificial baits in that situation too--at least in some pond situations I'm aware of.
It's a great question and it's something I've actually been working on before releasing my redear sunfish video. Right now I have been trying a plethora of artificial lures on these summer redear to see what entices them the most. So far, a live worm/leech is still the golden ticket but I have had a bit of success with a spider mimic wet fly and a drop-shot rig with a soft plastic. But the lures that do better in spring and fall don't seem to do much. So...I'm exploring this topic for sure.
Thanks for the guide. Believe I caught a bluegill-longear hybrid in a Texas lake.
No problem! Ah nice, those bluegill/longear hybrids in Texas can be tricky to ID.
You should make a Facebook page for people to post their hybrid catches, I have a bunch of pics of hybrids.
I would...but I hardly even log into the KNFS Facebook. However I do recommend posting hybrid pics to iNaturalist.org as I check that quite frequently as well as other biologists/fish ID experts (among other people too.) It's free and you can tag @koaw in your observation's description or in a comment on the observation to notify me and I'll take a look. Cheers!
@@KNFishingSmarts ok cool, I'll have to check it out.
Love this content, very helpful
Glad you think so!
Loving this I've caught several hybrids maybe now I can identify them better while fishing the wilds of Virginia what's really interesting Is a hybrid pumpkinseed tends to look a bit like a green sunfish wondering if millions of years ago these species are all perhaps hybrids and would explain why there are so many different related species green sunfish and pumpkin seeds and redears tend to have the same blue markings
Thanks Chris. Yeah, the evolution of this genus has become more clear. And that's a good thought but it's more likely that the ancestor of all lepomids had that blue streaking. Around ~24 million years ago species of lepomids starting evolving from the ancestor; eventually the green sunfish would evolve from one end of that split and pumpkinseed from another. So either the ancestor had it or it evolved independently in each of 'em.
@@KNFishingSmarts that's amazing man loving the education on such an amazing yet overlooked genus keep em coming
Im still looking for a Green sunfish in my area...seems there are no pure ones left, but everything I catch is half green sunfish somehow lol
Hmm...that's peculiar. Are you mostly fishing in closed-systems? Like a pond?
So interesting! Like reading a mystery book. This video made me think...are hybrid infertile? Since there seems to be such vigorous interbreeding in small pools, how do the non-hybrids retain any breed integrity at all?
I looked up how sunfish breed and learned that males build snazzy nests to attract the female. A female will accept the invitation and lay her eggs in the nest, which then is protected by the male until hatching. Lots of skullduggery from competing sunfish and predators factors in, as well.
My question is whether the markings of the male matter at all to the female. Again, if any old guy will do if his nest is sufficiently attractive, how do breeds continue? And if markings do matter, what would convince a female to crossbreed?
In other words, how does all this diversity come about?
Sarah Larson I think only a female sunfish can answer some of your questions. But I found it very interesting to watch the chief biologist for the fisheries programs in Oklahoma discuss the reason sunfish hybridize much more readily than black and white crappie. It has to do with the larger mixture of species and their closeness in typical sunfish spawning bed places.
Heya Sarah. Great questions. Yeah, it has been proven that hybrid lepomids are capable of producing viable offspring. The occurrence of that happening is just much rarer than the already uncommonness of a hybrid's existence. Hybrids have fewer eggs/sperms and often deformed eggs/sperm. So at an anatomy level they are already at a disadvantage to reproduce.
Then there are the behavioral barriers that block their reproductive success. Pure species are more likely to mate with the same species. There are specific mating rituals and body patterns/colors that females are looking for that are often not quite right on a hybrid male; inversely, females behaviors in mate choice may also be skewed. (Though not much research has been done on that.)
@@larrytischler570, thanks for the info. Makes sense.
@@KNFishingSmarts , this would explain why hybridization doesn’t just continue exponentially.
Are hybrids constrained in other ways? Can they move as well as their parents? Digest food as well? Do they live shorter lives or grow more slowly or perhaps to a smaller size? Do fish grow forever? Your hybrid was much more attractive and similar to its parents than the hybrid you compared it to.