Bluegill with protruding head

[Xeev Xwm Vang]

Anyone here have any pics of any bluegills with protruding heads? I met someone over the weekend that stated how they caught a bunch of large gills out of Lino Lakes in MN that had protruding heads, but he had no pics to show.

In Cichlid terms, protruding heads are called Nuchal Humps or in the flowerhorn community, they call them Kok. As a New World Cichlid enthusiast, I just really love breeding and raising cichlids with protruding heads.

Curious if anyone knows how gills can grow the protruding head and if this is seen often.

Thanks.

[bluegillboogieman]

Is this what you mean? This is some weird guy on here all the time catchin' these high brows.

Go to Bruce Condello's home page and check his photos.

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

We call these Cabovers

[Xeev Xwm Vang]

bluegillboogieman---not really. I saw a picture on nanfa.org once. I tried to find it again, but cant. It was a sunfish type of fish with a protruding head like new world cichlid fish. If you go to google and in the search, type in nuchal hump, you'll know what I mean regarding new world cichlids and flowerhorns with nuchal humps. I remember on nanfa.org, a research group either farm raised or pulled a bull male out of stock tank. He looked really impressive. Its probably the same size as the one you posted, but the head protrudes out a bit more. Its not as golf-ball like, like new world cichlids get, but big for a bluegill. Never seen or caught a bluegill with nuchal hump potential.

[Xeev Xwm Vang]

its a bit more similar to this guy, but this guy is just massive. http://www.bigbluegill.com/photo/2036984:Photo:8380?context=user

[bluegillboogieman]

This reminds me of a full tick. That makes me think overfed. From what little I gathered about the nuchal hump, it comes and goes, possibly hormonal. This fat boy looks seriously deformed, unlike the picture above with that weird guy holding him out towards the camera. That one is just full grown.