Not very unusual at all for these wild ones. As I said he was darker when we pulled him out, but lighted up in captivity.
However, the wild ones do have a more yellowish tint than the petstore variety. They also get large, I've seen them up to 12". We catch them on small crappie hooks with worms, as it is illegal to use a net in the place we see them. Besides if you set the hook correctly it is better for the fish than a cast net which will damage scales. And they are way too skiddish to catch with a dip net. Any fish that gets hooked through eyes or gills we use as catfish bait so they won't go to waste.
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife "Background color varies from very dark to light olive".
By the way- TPWD has a nice website and good info on a variety of native fish. Here is a link to their info on freshwater fish in Texas. The Rio Grande Cichlid is at the bottom with the "other fish"
freshwater fish
I also have access to various species of gar and also mudcats (bullheads). For some reason it is not legal to sell any species of sunfish (Green Sunfish is one of the most beautiful natives). In fact with the "Permit to sell non game fish", they have a list of non-game fish and if a species is not on the list then it can't be sold (at least with that permit). Actually the law reads:
"A PERMIT TO SELL NON-GAME FISH
is required to sell alligator gar, shortnose gar,
spotted gar, longnose gar, bowfin, gizzard
shad, threadfin shad, common carp, goldfish,
grass carp, bighead carp, bigmouth buffalo,
black buffalo, smallmouth buffalo, river carpsucker,
black bullhead, yellow bullhead,
freshwater drum (gaspergou), Mozambique
tilapia, blue tilapia, redbelly tilapia, Rio
Grande perch, silversides, mullet, shiners, minnows
and hybrids of these species taken from
the public fresh waters of this state. Other
non-game fish may not be sold."
The Cichlids are refered to as "Rio Grande Perch"
Any interest in these other species besides the Cichlid? This would help me know if it is worth it... Some of those I don't have access to around here.
However, the wild ones do have a more yellowish tint than the petstore variety. They also get large, I've seen them up to 12". We catch them on small crappie hooks with worms, as it is illegal to use a net in the place we see them. Besides if you set the hook correctly it is better for the fish than a cast net which will damage scales. And they are way too skiddish to catch with a dip net. Any fish that gets hooked through eyes or gills we use as catfish bait so they won't go to waste.
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife "Background color varies from very dark to light olive".
By the way- TPWD has a nice website and good info on a variety of native fish. Here is a link to their info on freshwater fish in Texas. The Rio Grande Cichlid is at the bottom with the "other fish"
freshwater fish
I also have access to various species of gar and also mudcats (bullheads). For some reason it is not legal to sell any species of sunfish (Green Sunfish is one of the most beautiful natives). In fact with the "Permit to sell non game fish", they have a list of non-game fish and if a species is not on the list then it can't be sold (at least with that permit). Actually the law reads:
"A PERMIT TO SELL NON-GAME FISH
is required to sell alligator gar, shortnose gar,
spotted gar, longnose gar, bowfin, gizzard
shad, threadfin shad, common carp, goldfish,
grass carp, bighead carp, bigmouth buffalo,
black buffalo, smallmouth buffalo, river carpsucker,
black bullhead, yellow bullhead,
freshwater drum (gaspergou), Mozambique
tilapia, blue tilapia, redbelly tilapia, Rio
Grande perch, silversides, mullet, shiners, minnows
and hybrids of these species taken from
the public fresh waters of this state. Other
non-game fish may not be sold."
The Cichlids are refered to as "Rio Grande Perch"
Any interest in these other species besides the Cichlid? This would help me know if it is worth it... Some of those I don't have access to around here.
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