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yoggy
Guest
Can anyone enlighten me on this fish?,some of my friends are saying they are not native to british waters?,I was under the impression they were but not that common?...is this true?
Mark Wintle
Well-known member
These fish are North American and related to their bass. So definitely introduced, and as you say uncommon. I've caught them in 2 Dorset waters and in Toronto, Canada.
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yoggy
Guest
Thanks Mark,to what size do they grow,again i was under the impression these are relatively small "roundish" fish?.
Yoggy,
Pumpkinseed are as Mark rightly says from North America.
Scientific Name: Lepomis gibbosus
Lepomis, from the Greek, "scaled gill cover"
gibbosus, from the Greek, "wide margin"
Common Name(s): Pumpkinseed, Common sunfish, yellow sunfish, punky.
To import these days you need a DEFRA licence (Section 30) however, there are quite a few stillwaters where these were stocked in the hope that they would thrive in some Carp lakes. Mostly the ones you catch in the South are very small and a real nuisance.
I know of one small lake in Hampshire where they are very prevalent, in fact to the point where 'natural' baits are now out of the question to use.
The USA record is: 1lb 6 ounces.
They do have very sharp spines so handle with care
Pumpkinseed are as Mark rightly says from North America.
Scientific Name: Lepomis gibbosus
Lepomis, from the Greek, "scaled gill cover"
gibbosus, from the Greek, "wide margin"
Common Name(s): Pumpkinseed, Common sunfish, yellow sunfish, punky.
To import these days you need a DEFRA licence (Section 30) however, there are quite a few stillwaters where these were stocked in the hope that they would thrive in some Carp lakes. Mostly the ones you catch in the South are very small and a real nuisance.
I know of one small lake in Hampshire where they are very prevalent, in fact to the point where 'natural' baits are now out of the question to use.
The USA record is: 1lb 6 ounces.
They do have very sharp spines so handle with care
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yoggy
Guest
Thanks mate,thats very interesting to read,Why on earth were they stocked into the carp lakes!!?
First year they attain about 2 inches.
In the wild they will not live past 6 to 8 years of age, although they have lasted up to 12 years of age in captivity.
Most of the individual States have a record around the pound mark, but in the UK (South) I have never seen these over a few ounces.
Identification: the pumpkinseed is a very deep-bodied, laterally compressed, almost disk-like fish. Multi coloured - oragney/red breast and belly with an olive colour down the back and sides with orange, yellow, blue and greenish spots.
In the wild they will not live past 6 to 8 years of age, although they have lasted up to 12 years of age in captivity.
Most of the individual States have a record around the pound mark, but in the UK (South) I have never seen these over a few ounces.
Identification: the pumpkinseed is a very deep-bodied, laterally compressed, almost disk-like fish. Multi coloured - oragney/red breast and belly with an olive colour down the back and sides with orange, yellow, blue and greenish spots.
I was told by one lake owner that he stocked them mistakenly believing that they would eat a lot of the weed. However, they mainly thrive on a diverse diet of small prey, such as insects, insect larvae, mollusks, snails and other crustaceans, and small fish. They are effective at destroying mosquito larvae.
Graham Whatmore
Senior Member
Yoggy look at this mate pumpkinseed
Graham,
Thats the link that I found - I just cannot do this link business
I have tried and tried but it never comes out right but then I have never been much of a 'puter techie.
Thats the link that I found - I just cannot do this link business
I have tried and tried but it never comes out right but then I have never been much of a 'puter techie.
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yoggy
Guest
Thanks alot,they certainly are a nice looking fish,those spines do look a bit dodgey though!!!!,my thoughs tell me they probably are a nuisance fish in their native north America!.
M
madpiker
Guest
dunwear ponds at bridgwater in somerset contain pumkinseeds,the locals also call them sunbass,no one knows how they got therre,most probably illegal emptying of a pond\tank.biggest caught from there is about 8oz i think.