Another New Species ?

[Tony Buzolich]

Today our fly club held it's monthly fishout in the dredger ponds on the north side of the Yuba River near Hallwood. Targeting primarily black bass and bluegill this question has come up before about all the various species of sunfish we have and some of the hybrids which come about from cross-breeding. Today I caught a new one, several in fact.

Looking like what we all call "bluegill" these stood out by being very dark across most of the body with blue lines and specks across the face and head, but totally black from the pectorals down including the pelvic and anal fines and lower half of the tail. When I say "black" I mean really BLACK. Jet Black. Like nothing I've ever seen before and naturally today I didn't bring my camera to verify this unusual coloration.

We caught plenty of regular colored bluegill as well with the normal yellow/orange bellies and barred sides but these black dark bottomed gills were so unusual I just had to ask.

So, what's an educated answer to what these might be? Remember "Jet Black" the entire lower third of the body but still the basic shape of a common bluegill.
Thanks, Tony

[David Lee]

No photo ?? For shame !

I see a lot of Bluegills and Redears that have really dark , sometimes totally Black Bellies when they're nesting - something to consider , a seasonal thing .

D.~

[SeanO]

Pics are good for species ID!

Not sure what you came across there other than a good time!

Best,

[Darian]

Interesting.... From the description it almost sounds like a Green Sunfish. What size was the mouth?? Many sunnies will be dark if they're from depth or dark colored water.

[ptychocheilus]

Greens can turn really dark, but they'll usually also have a prominent pale or orange margin on the tips of the soft dorsal, caudal, and anal fins. Of course, they also still have the larger mouth, rounded pectorals, more cylindrical body, and everything else that makes them normally stand out.

Pics would help.