Red Finned Sunfish I.D. Help

[drob1120]

Hey guys, I'm hoping someone can help me I.D. this sunfish/sunperch. I caught his little guy in a crawfish trap in east Texas and he was so awesome looking I had to keep him. He's about 2-1/2" long and has these magnificent red fins. I have him in this 36 gallon bow front with some native fish (dollar sunfish and bluegill) and some rainbows and other misc fish for around 2 weeks. He gets along great with everyone and will eat pretty much anything I put in the tank. I've been looking for what breed he is since I've gotten him and I haven't had any luck. Any help would greatly be appreciated!

Thanks

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1429925700.921400.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1429925730.286856.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1429925888.350406.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1429925747.250001.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1429925915.795602.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1429925924.427072.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1429925932.487855.jpg

[ptran]

Roy William can probably help.

[drob1120]

Is he a member of this forum?

[ptran]

Yes, he is. Roy is very resourceful and know a lot about native fish.

[mnemenoi]

Thanks ptran! Always happy to help out. Looking at the pics, its a bit difficult to tell exactly what species it is. My initial guess would be a Redspotted Sunfish (Lepomis miniatus) from fin coloring and operculum arrangement. I know they can be devilishly difficult to get a decent picture of. A great spot to find any locals for an ID is Dan Johnson's website. The pics are all of actual fish he caught and its a great tool to help determine what you may have, especially if you have a general guess and just analyze body parts to narrow down your options.

[drob1120]

Thank you ptran and mnemenoi for your replies! Yes, the are very difficult to get a good picture of! A red spotted sunfish was my initial guess also, however he does not have a few of the distinct characteristics of a red spotted sunfish. I actually have two red spotted sunfish I've had over a year and they have always had distinct red spots and white tips on there fins, which this guy doesn't have.

[drob1120]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1430088310.766862.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1430088326.806766.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1430088336.094554.jpg

[drob1120]

Sorry the pics didnt upload very well, but that is one of my older red spotted sunfish and he has clear orange/red spots..

[mnemenoi]

Could be breeding colors or even some aspect of their diet in the wild. Would be interested to see what happens to its coloration with extended care in an aquarium. Also could simply be normal color variations in individual fish. Perch and crayfish species can really be problematic for identification.

[mnemenoi]

Oh, by the way my name is Roy. Most of the folks know me from meetings so use my real name lol.

[drob1120]

Red Finned Sunfish I.D. Help

You are right, all of my different perch/sunfish can vary their color pretty rapidly depending on if they're hunting/ hiding ect. After looking at Dan Johnson's website I can see how it could possibly be a juvenile red spotted sunperch. My bad Roy, I've been lurking around this forum for a couple years and I've seen your name before in these native fish discussions. My name is Dustin btw, I've got a couple of native tanks and a couple community tanks. You and this forum have really been a great help over the last couple of years. Thank you very much for the help and the link!

[mnemenoi]

Glad to help and glad to hear folks get good info here, seems like there is always something here for any question I have and just doing what I can to give back. If you like ative tanks NANFA is another good site/forum (North American Native Fish Association). If your in the Houston area come out to one of our local meetings! If your up on the North side hit me up, I am apt to wander out and go collecting if anyone is up for it, I just enjoy going and have quite a few spots for whatever we are hunting...