Summary ²

Family: Percidae

Yellow perch(Perca flavescens) are one of the most popular and well-known Great Lakes fishes. A favorite sport species that also supports a commercial fishery in some places. Yellow perch live in the big lakes and inland lakes, and less commonly in rivers. Can form schools. Eat aquatic insect larvae and small fishes. Numbers are declining due to a variety of reasons.

How to recognize: Body is yellowish green with several dark bars running up and down. Lower fins can be a reddish orange. Two fins on the back, the first supported by stiff spines, and the second supported by soft rays. Dark blotch in the rear corner of the first fin on the back. Up to 1 foot /0.3 meters long.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) alavire, all rights reserved
2. (c) alavire, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CalPhotos
• FishBase
• FishSource
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• VertNet
• World Register of Marine Species

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