linecaster wrote:
A guy on Texas Fishing forums was asking for an ID of this fish, can you help? I thought it is a hybrid sunfish.
https://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n60 ... 70ddc7.jpgFirst things first, hybridization between Cichlids (Rio's), and Centrarchids (our sunfishes) is not likely to happen as they aren't even in the same Genus. Although I personally believe the two Genus's are somehow related (both are in the Perciform class after all), at least in the very distant past, and they may have evolved from common ancestors, they are no longer closely related.
I looked at the photo and enlarged it a bit. A few things that standout to me are, 1. The mouth doesn't look right for a Sunfish, it looks more cichlid like. 2. There is no operculer flap on the gill cover, which all Sunfish have, even if it's very tiny. 3. The rear of the dorsal fin looks more Rio/Cichlid like. 4. The coloration is more Rio/Cichlid.
I'm no Cichlid expert, but my guess is that this fish might be a juvenile Rio with bold coloration. I'm not familiar with Cichlid hybridization although I'm keen to guess that it occurs within the Genus, or maybe not, I simply do not know for sure. There are other Cichlid species running around in the deep south just because people buy them as pets, then end up releasing them to the wild because they don't want to care for them anymore. Someone with a better working knowledge of Cichlids is needed for this one. I think the best bet would be to send an email to TPWD with the picture and maybe have a fisheries biologist help with a positive ID.