Although they share many common characteristics and are commonly lumped together in many circumstances under the handle “bream,” bluegill and shellcrackers have distinctly different characteristics, especially when targeting one specific species while fishing.
Both are members of the sunfish family and range statewide across South Carolina. In addition, both are frequently stocked in small impoundments and farm ponds, along with largemouth bass, as a means of creating a balanced ecosystem.
They differ slightly in physical characteristics. Bluegill have an orange/yellow sheen stemming from an olive coloration; shellcrackers have a more gold/green coloration. The tip of the gill cover — the operculum — is deep blue to black in bluegill and black, tipped with red or orange in shellcrackers. This characteristic lends to the name “redear.”
Both species have small mouths with no teeth on the tongue, however, shellcrackers do have pharyngeal teeth in the throat area that are used to crush the shells of snails and mussels. While both are highly opportunistic feeders, the ability to crush prey tends to separate their habitats.
Bluegills feed primarily on insects, invertebrates and small fish, mostly near the surface. Shellcrackers feed on the bottom and prefer crayfish, mussels, snails, and insect larvae.
Both species have similar, if not exact, habitat preferences. The two species may be found in a variety of habitat types, including ponds, lakes, reservoirs, swamps, streams and small rivers. Shellcrackers exhibit a preference for slow-moving, sluggish or non-flowing waters and are often found in or near areas of vegetation and over a mud or sand bottom.
Be the first to comment