How to Identify a Freshwater Perch

Freshwater perch are bony fish, typically with two separate or narrowly joined dorsal fins. There are roughly 150 different species of freshwater perch in the United States, Europe and Asia. One of the most common characteristics of perch is that they swim in shoals and search for food among shores, shallow lakes or pond bottoms. They eat fish eggs, fish larvae and small fish.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Identify common perch by their two dorsal fins, which are separate or slightly joined. With a spined front fin, the perch typically has a soft-rayed rear fin. Often, their anal fins are spined as well.

2. Find the yellow perch in its native North America, east of the Rocky Mountains. You can identify it by its round, yet slender body with a yellow or golden color and several dark vertical bars on it sides.

3. Locate the common freshwater perch in Europe and northern Asia. With a green body, it has dark vertical bars that run the length of its side and reddish-orange lower fins.

4. Distinguish from a darter perch fish, which is common in the freshwaters of North America, east of the Rocky Mountains. Darters typically live on the bottom of quick-flowing streams, laying their eggs in sandy stream bottoms or in weeds.

Tips & Warnings

• Perch typically spawn in the spring, laying eggs in long strings in shallow waters.
• There are three varieties of perch. They include the common or yellow perch, the darters and a variety that includes the walleye, the sauger and the pike perch.

Resources

• Find photos at Activeangler.

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