Brooke Tracy, Ohio State University, College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences. September 25th, 2019
To the untrained eye, it is very tempting to call any small fish a Bluegill, especially in Ohio. As a kid, I went fishing with my dad and I was just excited to catch a fish, I didn’t really care what it was. My dad would call it a Bluegill or a bass and we’d take a picture and toss it back to its happy little fishy pond. Now, I am majoring in Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife at Ohio State University, and identifying fish has become an interest of mine. I want to provide some tips on how to tell the difference between a Bluegill and some of Ohio’s other sunfish for those of you who are less familiar with fish ID.
Figure 1 is a photo of a Bluegill. There are a few key things to look for when identifying a Bluegill. 1.) The dorsal fin, which is the fin on the top of the fish, starts out spiny. Be careful, those spines are the easiest way to get pricked when you’re taking one of these fish off a hook. 2.) The second half of the dorsal fin is made up of soft rays, with no spines. 3.) The body of a Bluegill has vertical blueish stripes, and depending on the fish, these can be more or less obvious. 4.) And finally, the Bluegill has blue gills, which are located under the ear and behind the mouth of the fish. Additionally, the Bluegill is usually between 6-10 inches long. Seems easy enough, right? Let’s look at another sunfish.
Figure 2 is a photo of a Green Sunfish. Notice any differences between the Green and the Bluegill? They have the same body shape overall, with slightly different tails. The Green Sunfish has a more rounded caudal fin, which is just the name for the tail fin. Also note that the body color is much more green than that of the Bluegill, and the vertical lines on the body are much less noticeable. The gills on the Green Sunfish don’t stand out, but they have beautiful blue streaking (striations) on their face. Compared to the Bluegill, the Green Sunfish are generally much smaller, usually between 3-7 inches long.
Figure 3 is a photo of an Orange Spotted Sunfish. Aren’t they pretty? The Orangspot has the same “sunfish shaped body” as the Bluegill and the Green, but this one has beautiful orange fins and a silvery blue body. They also have Orange spots on their cheeks and body. This fish is even smaller than the Green Sunfish, usually being only 2 or 3 inches long.
Why Bother?
Fish identification is important when you’re out there fishing on your own because some species are threatened or endangered. When species are in danger of extinction, regulations are put in place that limits what you’re allowed to catch, that way the fish populations that are in danger have a chance to recover without being in danger of humans. If you mistakenly take the wrong fish you could worsen their state of concern as well as receive a monetary fine. Make sure you know what you’re catching!
Your Turn!
Below are a few unlabeled pictures for you to try to identify on your own. Pay attention to the tail shape as well as the body and face markings. Good luck!
*You can find the answers under the sources and photo credits. Happy fishing!
References
Wildlife, Ohio DNR Division of. “Ohio.gov / Search.” Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife, wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/fish/bluegill-sunfish. (Figure 1 was obtained from this source)
Wildlife, Ohio DNR Division of. “Ohio.gov / Search.” Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife, wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/fish/green-sunfish. (Figure 2 was obtained from this source)
Wildlife, Ohio DNR Division of. “Ohio.gov / Search.” Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife, wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/fish/orangespotted-sunfish. (Figure 3 was obtained from this source)
Photo Credit
- Photo © Steve Harwood/Flickr
- https://alchetron.com/Orangespotted-sunfish#-
- Photo credit: J.D. Wilson, https://www.flickr.com/photos/57809070@N03/
- Photo by Nate Tessler, http://vtichthyology.blogspot.com/2016/09/green-sunfish-is-one-tough-sparring.html
Answers
- Bluegill
- Orange Spotted Sunfish
- Trick Question! This is a Bluegill-Green Sunfish Hybrid, which means the two species intermixed. That’s why it resembles both a Bluegill and a Green Sunfish. Good job if that one was tough!
- Green Sunfish