Perch

Perch
	Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Percidae
Subfamily:	Percinae
Genus:	Perca; Linnaeus, 1758

Perch is the name of a freshwater perciform fish belonging to the genus Perca. Perch have "rough" scales. When looking through a microscope, the scales look like a plate with growth rings and spikes on the top edges. On the top side of the fish, there is a mouth, a pair of nostrils, and two lidless eyes. On the bottom sides are the operculum, which are used to protect the gills. Also perch have a lateral line system, which a set of sense organs that are sensitive to vibrations in the water. They have a pair of pectoral and pelvic fins. On the front end of the fish, there are two dorsal fins. The first one is spiny and the second is soft. There is also an anal fin, which is also considered spiny, and a caudal fin.

Species

There are three extant species and five extinct species within this genus:

Extant

Perca fluviatilis Linnaeus, 1758 (European perch)
Perca flavescens Mitchill, 1814 (Yellow perch)
Perca schrenkii Kessler, 1874 (Balkhash perch)

Habitats

Typically, perch are classified as carnivores, choosing waters where smaller fish, shellfish, and insect larvae are abundant. They can be found in parts of the United States in freshwater ponds, lakes, streams, or rivers. These fish can be found in fresh water all over the world, and are known to inhabit the Great Lakes region, in particular Lake Erie. The fish inhabit bodies of water where vegetation and debris is accessible. In the spring when the perch chooses to spawn, they use vegetation to conceal their eggs from predators.

Percidae

Main article: Percidae

The Percidae are a family of ray-finned fish, part of the order Perciformes, which are found in fresh and brackish waters of the Northern Hemisphere. The majority are Nearctic, but there are also Palearctic species. The family contains more than 200 species in 11 genera.

Fossil genera

Palaeoperca Micklich, 1978
Amphiperca Weitzel, 1933

Nicknames

The perch has a variety of nicknames such as freshwater perch, Dodd fish, or poor man's rockfish.

Perch Media

European perch (Perca fluviatilis), exhibiting its green coloration and red tipped fins, as well as the vertical bars on its sides.
Skull of the European Perch showing the eye sockets, connective bones, operculum, and gill slits.
The above picture is a labeled image of the internal anatomy of the species Perch Perca flavescens. Each letter corresponds to an internal body part, A: gills, B: auricle of the heart, C: ventricle of the heart, D: liver, E: stomach, F: digestive cecum, G: swim bladder, H: intestine, I: testis, and J: urinary bladder.

Perch

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