Sunfish species/varieties in MN?

[Slyster]

Panfish newbie Question: Can someone clarify my confusion? I have caught "sunnies" since I was a tiny lad.. but lately have been more serious about targeting them and figuring them out...

My question:... "Sunfish"... I have heard them called at least 3 names... Pumpkin Seed, Green, and Bluegill.

I catch at least 2 very different looking sunnies on WBL...dull green and very colorful with lots of blue... Are they actually different species?... Or just different phases of the same fish?

I wonder if those 3 names are actually different species?.. and if so.. how do you tell the difference? (I would guess that "bluegills" (or 'gills') are those with lots of blue and yellow?)

[CrappieJohn]

Sly....If you have access to a public library, take an hour and do a search for books with color PHOTOGRAPHS of freshwater fishes. Or do an internet search. Do a search on this forum. Withing the last four months many pics have been put up with descriptions and names of the sunfish family members. With the natural hybredizing in some waters the identifying process can be a trick, trust me. Matt Johnson had some great phots of sunfish and pumkinseeds earlier this spring here in this forum. Snoop a little and you'll find what you are looking for.

[CALVINIST]

One of the lakes I fish has some amazingly colorful looking sunnies/gills. Some are actually a ghostly white with purple mixed in!

[Slyster]

I did a google image search and finally found out blue gills are NOT the ones with blue stripes around their mouths and gills- that's what I assumed for years now. Those are pumpkinseeds. Crazy. Tx.. I'll do some research.