--Bruce Stallsmith
>I don't think that the dollars vary like longears do, but I haven't been
>able to see them from as many areas as the popular longear. There are many
>differences between the three kinds. Here is descriptions of them, the
>best way I know how to describe them.
>
>Mississippi variety: avg length- 4 inches, fins typically sized for
>lepomis, prefers mid water, ground colors reddish, blues very dark
>turquoise, mouth is more upturned than the other two, over all is darkly
>colored. blues are blotchy and intense, males get a substantial nutial
>hump, female very uncolored compared to male, pelvic fin extensions
>prominant but not longer than expected for these fish, pelvic fins dark
>blue black to deep turquoise, ear is large and fan shaped with thick blue
>spots all over it and bright border, would rather feed at the surface.
>
>Atlanitic var.: avg length - nearly 5 inches for males, less for females (
>this is true of most of the smaller sunfish actually), fins longer and
>higher than typical lepomis, fins held erect more often than not, prefers
>surface even though mouth is more under slung than mississippi var. , gound
>color is greenish yello, blues are light , fins are almos white /blue.
>body has much fewer spangling than other variants, eye appears further
>forward than the typical sunfish , male develops moderate hump on head,
>females nearly as colorful as male, very long pelvic fin extensions and
>very bright blue/white, ear is same width throughut length and doesnt
>develop many if any blue specks likes to feed just under the surface to
>the bottom.
>
>Pennisular var: avg length- 3.25 inches, no hump on males ( that I have
>seen) mottled in appearance, drab background color, blue is medium, male
>supposedly turns black when spawning, moderate pelvic fin extensions and
>medium blue turquoise, mouth typical of lepomis as are fin size and shape,
>prefers bottom layers of water, less round in body shape than other two
>var, ear small and narrow.
>
>I have had both the Atlantic and Mississippi varieties for a good time, and
>have even had them hybridize ( all babies were gotten rid of except a few
>went to someone who whould not mix them with others) but the florida I have
>only one male, and am going off of accounts by others. I hope to get a
>female and spawn them so I can see the variances in colors and shapes
>better.
>
>Hope this tells the story,
>Ray
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