Orangespotted sunfish

Anyone have experience with orangespotted sunfish?
I saw pics of them and was thinking about trying to find a few for an ornamental pond. Are the males very colorfull most of the time?
I also read Max size was 7-8" but had someone else say they had shock up tons of them and still never seen one over 4". I still have no idea where to find them and get them to Ca.

http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/...ed_sunfish.jpg


i havent seen one more then 4 or 5 inches long ever and most of em ive seen havent been this colorful usually more browish then orangish ..upon further research it is mainly in the central of the united states and not beleived to be in california even so a specimen or 2 might be around there

I've caught a few in the 3-4" range in a small pond in SC.

Something a little more common, but still very colorful would be the longear sunfish. They are common here I don't know about in CA. I think they are one of the coolest looking fish out there. And they are a pretty tenacious little fish.

We used to seine small longears out of our local stream, (along with darters and daces) and kept them in an aquarium in our basement. People would always ask, "Where'd you buy those? They're beautiful!"

yep i cauight a few longear sunfish this year at Reelfoot Lake. Kept a couple for the aquarium. Pretty fish!

We have them in N.C.. They are called pumpkinseed or yellow bellies here. That one is colored up really pretty. Most I have seen are mostly brown with speckles of turquoise. They are small in rivers but one natural lake close by me grows them up to a pound.CF

CF is right,they get a good bit bigger here in E NC.I assume the farmer is talking about Phelps Lake.Lake Waccamaw just west of Wilmington has some fairly decent ones as well.

Those are weird looking!!

Fatman

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Originally Posted by crappiefarmer

We have them in N.C.. They are called pumpkinseed or yellow bellies here. That one is colored up really pretty. Most I have seen are mostly brown with speckles of turquoise. They are small in rivers but one natural lake close by me grows them up to a pound.CF

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orangespotted and pumpkinseeds are 2 different species.. the orangespottted sunfish max size is 6 inches where as the pumpkinseed can get much larger..here is a pick of a pumpkinseed.. they do kind of favor each other..one big difference is the red of the eye

both picks below are of pumpkinseeds with different colloring
http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb...4-4A4192E3.jpg

http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatla...umpkinseed.jpg