Do you love big bluegill?

Second HBG 6/17/2012

Here is one of two HBG we caught on Fathers Day. Can anyone tell if it is a Male or Female?

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Comment by Bruce Condello on June 18, 2012 at 9:26pm: The few times that I've heard of DNA testing of hybrids (GSF X BG) and (WAE X sauger), it is amazing how seldom that the fish is "pure". If even once in this fish's past it had a wandering great-great-great-great grandparent, the genes are less than pure and you essentially have a hybrid. Definitely noticed the smaller mouth, but in my mind there's lots of GSF genetics at work here. Who knows? Fodder for discussion, but unfortunately no possibility of complete resolution. :-)

Comment by Walt Foreman on June 18, 2012 at 9:15pm: I do agree that HBG display a wide range of morphology - I see that every time I catch one. But, just to my eye, the two fish Zach posted photos of are much more elongated than the most fusiform-ish of Bruce's fish below, and a proportionately larger mouth. The mouth does seem slightly small to be 100% GSF, but both fish look to me to be way above 90%, if not 100%.

I think you probably hit the nail on the head, Tony, when you mentioned F2s and F3s - my guess would be Zach's fish are at least a couple generations removed from the initial hybridization.

Comment by Tony Livingston on June 18, 2012 at 8:00pm: HBG can display an incredible diversity, when it comes to appearance. I think a couple of pics that Bruce recently posted show it most clearly. The first photo shows Bruce with a 12" HBG, more orientated towards a Green Sunfish.

The second photo is Bruce's dad holding a "traditional" shaped HBG. There is the possibility that Bruce's fish is a reciprocal cross..... the product of a male Green Sunfish, and a female Bluegill. While Mr. Condello's fish is likely to be a product of the "usual" HBG combination.... a male Bluegill and a female Green Sunfish. The male traits of each combination may appear dominant, possibly accounting for the difference.

And most importantly..... this is just a guess on my part! I've seen a world of difference in HBG through the years. Reciprocal crosses, back crosses, F2's, F3's...... it can be hard to tell.

I won't even get into the "Georgia Giants" differences........

Thanks go to Bruce for posting these photos for us here at BBG.

Comment by Walt Foreman on June 18, 2012 at 6:21pm: Do you have some that elongated, Tony? Usually that's the tip-off for a pure in my experience. The mouth could be a tad small but other than that...If it were only a couple inches I'd lean more towards HBG, but that fish looks to be seven or eight inches long. All of the HBG I've seen have more of a bluegill shape at that length, even if they're not as round as a pure-strain bluegill. Just my $.02 though - I could be wrong.

Comment by Tony Livingston on June 18, 2012 at 6:00pm: It looks like a male. I don't believe it's a pure Greenie, it looks an awful lot like some of my HBG.