Hybridization among sunfishes – the saga continues

Hybridization among the Centrarchidae has been well-studied and well-documented. That phenomenon has often been attributed to some “mistake” in species recognition. Molecular evidence coupled with behavioral observations in Lake Opinicon, Ontario, however, suggest that the hybridization between Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus and Pumpkinseed L. gibbosus is anything but accidental. We describe the mechanism for this hybridization, postulate the evolutionary rationale for such a strategy, and put that into the context of sunfish hybridization in general.