Another Hybrid Sunfish?

[JC]

I am including a couple pics of an odd looking sunfish in hopes that others can provide input concerning its pedigree.

 

The fish is dark because it comes from a tidal cypress swamp where the water is coffee colored.

 

This is one of several sunfish from the same body of waterthat appear to be hybrids.

 

The odd thing is that catches typically include only bluegill or pumpkinseed.

 

I have never caught green sunfish or longear, but some of the hybrid fish seem to have those influences.

 

Anyway, this fish does not look exactly like a pumpkinseeed, longear or bluegill. Could it be a bluegill x longear hybrid?

 

Note the large mouth on this fish.

 

 

[Bruce Condello]

A lot of redbreast sunfish.....not sure of there's much of anything else.

[JC]

After studying a million pics, I have to agree with Bruce that the fish is probably a redbreast. I think I have caught one or two before and not realized what I had.

The black water where the fish comes from gives it a unique cast which makes it harder to identify some species. Pumpkinseed from the same area have this appearance as well.

[Bruce Condello]

....and a beauty, too!!