Fish ID Hybrid?

[federico del toro]

I caught some fish at borne and I'm a little puzzled as to what they are they look like a redbreast but the ear tab is a lot smaller.

I've caught a lot of these at the creeks but always thought they where juvenile redbreast, but this fish are pretty big, I caught 4 today and they where all 10"+ I also caught a couple of red breast so I'm going to post them for you to compare

Let me know your thoughts

[Tony Livingston]

Female Redbreasts?

[federico del toro]

You might be right Tony, I never thought of it

[federico del toro]

Interesting read,

 Papa RB just had different genes. I prefer the big RBs with long, broad ears with the light pigment and the big circle on the end. Looks like a big dotted "i". Catch those on the Guad all the time. We catch the ones with the stunted ears on the Guad too. Large gene pool. The big, long "ears" are a mutate from what a Georgia fisheries biologist told me. The ones with the shorter, thin slanted "ears" are the originals.

BTW, just for those who don't know  the Redbreast Sunfish is an intentional transplant from it's native eastern states an provinces, from Quebec down to Florida. They aren't in all the waters all up and down there, but are in some rivers, creeks and streams and not in others. They're in plenty of impoundments too. Other states tried to introduce RBs into their waters (like Arkansas), but none really took hold like they have in TX and LA. Just a little info.

[Tony Livingston]

I'm simply not familiar enough with Redbreast to be sure. My observations where based on the following: The fish in the photos labeled as hybrids displayed little to no scale tipping on the "shoulders"....usually indicative of females. The smaller eartabs....also usually associated with females. The much lighter coloration on the underside.....also common to females.

Keep in mind however, that all the aforementioned traits are common to Bluegills. Would the same hold true for Redbreasts? I just don't know.