Do you love big bluegill?
A mount I made of the Lake Perris, Ca 1995 lake record Bluegill. As per my customer's request, I painted it as a spawning male "northern" strain rather than the dark-colored "coppernose" that the actual fish was.
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Identified as a bluegill to average fisherman!
NICE mount 3lbs bluegill! I went Florida many times and I can easily tell different between northern bluegills and coppernose bluegills! I think that northern bluegills can grow big while coppernose can grow big but live short but I just think so! I think that world record bluegill is northern bluegill but picture of mount is not clearly! I remember that Alabama fishery biologist said that world record bluegill live northern Alabama live longer than southern Alabama. SD state record is around 3 and half lbs but old fish.
Way to do your homework, Tony!!!! Good show. I'll do some more research. I'm learning as well.
Here's what I THINK I know..... PLEASE, if anyone knows different, speak up....
Lepomis Macrochirus Macrochirus.... The "northern strain" BG. Also referred to as native, regular, common. Abbreviated here to LMM.
Lepomis Macrochirus Purpurescens.... The "coppernose strain" BG. Thought to be native to the Florida panhandle, and the southern Atlantic coast states. Abbreviated here to LMP
Now it gets dicey...
Lepomis Macrochirus Speciosus.... Subspecies native to parts of Texas, the Southeastern US, and Northwestern Mexico. I find studies that claim this is most definitely a sub species of LMM, and other studies that find no difference between the two.. Does anyone know?? Abbreviated here to LMS.
Lepomis Macrochirus Mystacalis... Another supposed "coppernose strain" BG. Originally thought to be native to the peninsula of Florida. Now, some studies are claiming this coppernose variant to be no different than LMP. Does anyone know for sure?
Obviously, the Bluegill knows no bounds, as proven by some incredible photos of giant coppernoses from California, posted here recently. IF, there are two subspecies of coppernoses, which one are they? Beats me.
All of these fish are correctly identified as a Bluegill. Perhaps, in the grand scheme of things, that's what is most important.
Lepomis
Does anyone know the latest on the "purpurescens" vs. "mystacalis" debate? Are there two subspecies of coppernoses, or are they the same fish?
Would the "purpurescens" suffix, then be the scientific distinction that identifies a coppernose subspecies within the lepomis macrochirus family tree?
I've also seen the "common" or "northern", or "native" bluegill referred to as Lepomis macrochirus macrochirus, and the "coppernose" referred to as Lepomis macrochirus purpurescens.
Comment by Bruce Condellojust nowDelete Comment
Both the northern and southern variants are under the "lepomis macrochirus" umbrella. They are the same species, and readily interbreed, but the "coppernose" is probably more of a recent (geologically speaking) strain that occurred when "standard" bluegill were left in an isolated system (warm southern waters) over a period of time. The look of a coppernose is likely a series of mutations which benefitted that particular group of bluegill over time. Like many mutations, the location on the chromosome of the particular mutation can have effects that are hidden (such as cold intolerance) that don't become evident until you try to move the coppernose back north.
I believe both fish are considered Lepomis Macrochirus... but there are different subspecies within this classification. What can be considered "pure" ,is probably open for debate. I consider pure to be a BG that is not a hybrid, such as the GSF x BG cross, or the RES x BG cross. To me, both a native, northern BG, and a coppernose are considered pure BG, IF they have not crossed with another Lepomis.
There are other subspecies of BG around the country, such as the "hand painted" versions down south. But, I think they all are considered to be Lepomis Macrochirus?
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