View source for Perch

{{short description|Genus of fishes}}
{{About|the genus of fish}}
{{redirect|Perches|the commune in Haiti|Perches, Nord-Est}}
{{redirect|The Perch|the pub in Binsey, Oxfordshire|The Perch (Binsey)}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2017}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Perches
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|3.6|0|[[Pliocene]]–recent}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=home|title=Perca Linnaeus 1758 (perch)}}</ref>
| image = YellowPerch.jpg
| image_caption = [[Yellow perch]] (''Perca flavescens'')
| taxon = Perca
| parent_authority = [[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque|Rafinesque]], 1815
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| type_species = ''[[European perch|Perca fluviatilis]]''
| type_species_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = 
* ''[[Yellow perch|P. flavescens]]'' <small>[[Samuel L. Mitchill|Mitchill]], 1814</small> (yellow perch)
* ''[[European perch|P. fluviatilis]]'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> (European perch)
* ''[[Balkhash perch|P. schrenkii]]'' <small>[[Karl Kessler|Kessler]], 1874</small> (Balkhash perch)
}}

'''Perch''' is a common name for [[fish]] of the genus '''''Perca''''', freshwater [[gamefish]] belonging to the family [[Percidae]]. The perch, of which three species occur in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of [[vertebrate]]s: the [[Perciform]]es, from the {{lang-el|πέρκη}} ({{transliteration|el|perke}}), simply meaning perch, and the [[Latin]] ''forma'' meaning shape. Many species of freshwater gamefish more or less resemble perch, but belong to different genera. In fact, the exclusively saltwater-dwelling [[red drum]] is often referred to as a red perch, though by definition perch are freshwater fish. Though many fish are referred to as perch as a common name, to be considered a true perch, the fish must be of the family Percidae.

The [[type species]] for this genus is the [[European perch]], ''P. fluviatilis''.

==Species==
[[File:Perca fluviatilis 1879.jpg|thumb|European perch (''Perca fluviatilis''), exhibiting its green coloration and red tipped fins, as well as the vertical bars on its sides.<ref>{{Citation |last=Lydon |first=Alexander Francis |title=Perca fluviatilis |date=1879 |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Perca_fluviatilis_1879.jpg |access-date=2022-05-10}}</ref>]]
Most authorities recognize three species within the perch genus:
* The [[European perch]] (''P. fluviatilis'') is primarily found in [[Europe]], but a few can also be found in [[South Africa]], and even as far east on the [[Southern Hemisphere|Southern hemisphere]] as [[Australia]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Orban |first1=Elena |last2=Nevigato |first2=Teresina |last3=Masci |first3=Maurizio |last4=Di Lena |first4=Gabriella |last5=Casini |first5=Irene |last6=Caproni |first6=Roberto |last7=Gambelli |first7=Loretta |last8=De Angelis |first8=Paola |last9=Rampacci |first9=Massimo |orig-date=December 1, 2005 |title=Nutritional quality and safety of European perch (Perca fluviatilis) from three lakes of Central Italy |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0308814605008903 |journal=Food Chemistry |year=2007 |language=en |volume=100 |issue=2 |pages=482–490 |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.09.069}}</ref> This species is typically greenish in color with dark vertical bars on its sides with a red or orange coloring in the tips of its fins. The European perch has been successfully introduced in [[New Zealand]] and [[Australia]], where it is known as the redfin perch or English perch. In Australia, larger specimens have been bred, but the species rarely grows heavier than {{convert|6|lb|kg|order=flip|abbr=on}}.
* The [[Balkhash perch]] (''P. schrenkii'') is found in [[Kazakhstan]], (in [[Lake Balkhash]] and [[Lake Alakol]]), [[Uzbekistan]], and [[China]]. It is a dark gray/black color on its dorsal side, but the ventral areas of the fish are a lighter silver or even sometimes green color. The Balkhash perch also displays the vertical bars on its sides, similar to the European and yellow perches. In the latter half of the 20th century, the Balkhash perch was introduced into the basins of the [[Nuru River|Nuru]] and [[Chu (river)|Chu]] rivers. The introduction of these fishes to the Nuru and Chu rivers was successful. Because of this success, the population of Balkhash perch in the Balkhash Lake is rarer now. They are similar in size to the yellow and European perches, weighing around 1.5&nbsp;kg.<ref>{{Citation |title=Biology of Balkhash Perch (Perca schrenkii Kessler, 1874) |date=2015-08-05 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/b18806-6 |work=Biology of Perch |pages=57–82 |publisher=CRC Press |doi=10.1201/b18806-6 |isbn=9780429069468 |access-date=2022-05-10}}</ref> 
* The [[yellow perch]] (''P. flavescens''), smaller and paler than the [[European perch]], is found in North America. In northern areas, it is sometimes referred to as the lake perch. This species is prized for its food quality and has often been raised in hatcheries and introduced into areas in which it is not native. Yellow perch are almost identical in appearance to European perch, but have a more yellow coloring. These fish typically only reach a size of about {{convert|15|in|cm|order=flip|abbr=on}} and {{convert|1|kg|lboz|abbr=on}}.

==Anatomy==
[[File:Perch head.JPG|thumb|Skull of the European Perch showing the eye sockets, connective bones, operculum, and gill slits.<ref>{{Citation |last=H |first=Cholmondeley-Pennell |title=English: Head of the European perch (Perca fluviatilis) |date=1863 |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Perch_head.JPG |access-date=2022-05-10}}</ref>]]

=== External anatomy ===
Perch have a long and round body shape which allows for fast swimming in the water. True perch have "rough" or [[ctenoid]] scales. Perch have paired [[Pectoral fin|pectoral]] and [[pelvic fin]]s, and two [[dorsal fin]]s, the first one spiny and the second soft. These two fins can be separate or joined.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Weatherley |first=A. H. |date=1963-03-01 |title=A Note on the Head Kidney and Kidney of the Perch Perca Fluviatilis (linnaeus), with Special Reference to the Blood Vascular System |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |language=en |volume=140 |issue=2 |pages=161–167 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1963.tb01859.x |issn=1469-7998}}</ref> The head consists of the [[skull]] (formed from loosely connected bones), [[eye]]s, [[mouth]], [[Operculum (fish)|operculum]], [[gill]]s, and a pair of [[nostril]]s (which has no connection to the oral cavity). They have small brush-like teeth across their [[jaw]]s and on the roof of their mouth. The gills are located under the operculum on both sides of the head and are used to extract oxygen molecules from water and expel carbon dioxide; the gills have [[gill raker]]s inside the mouth.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Romer |first=Alfred Sherwood |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/3003870 |title=The vertebrate body |date=1977 |publisher=Saunders |others=Thomas S. Parsons |isbn=0-7216-7668-5 |edition=5th |location=Philadelphia |oclc=3003870}}</ref>

External anatomy can be used to determine the [[sex]] of perch in multiple ways. Perch have two posterior openings located on their abdomen, the [[Anus|anal]] and [[Urogenital opening|urogenital]]. In males, the shape of the urogenital opening is round and larger than the anal opening. In females, the urogenital opening is often a V- or U-shape which is a similar size to the anal opening. Also, Males usually have a more brown-red colored urogenital opening compared to females.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shepherd |first1=Brian S. |last2=Rees |first2=Christopher B. |last3=Sepulveda‐Villet |first3=Osvaldo J. |last4=Palmquist |first4=Debra E. |last5=Binkowski |first5=Fred P. |date=May 13, 2013 |title=Identification of Gender in Yellow Perch by External Morphology: Validation in Four Geographic Strains and Effects of Estradiol |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1080/15222055.2013.783520 |journal=North American Journal of Aquaculture |language=en |volume=75 |issue=3 |pages=361–372 |doi=10.1080/15222055.2013.783520 |issn=1522-2055}}</ref>

=== Internal anatomy ===
The [[esophagus]] is a flexible tube that goes from the mouth to the stomach. The [[stomach]] is connected to the intestine via the [[pyloric sphincter]].<ref name=":1" /> The [[intestines]] of perch consist of the [[small intestine]] and [[large intestine]]; the intestines have many [[Pyloric caecae|pyloric caeca]] and a [[Spiral valve|spiral value]], the small intestine consists of a part called the [[duodenum]]. The [[spleen]] is located after the stomach and before the spiral value. The spleen is connected to the [[circulatory system]], not part of the [[digestive tract]]. The [[liver]] is composed of three lobes: one small lobe (includes the gall bladder) and two large lobes. Perch have long and narrow [[kidney]]s that contain clusters of [[nephron]]s which empty into the [[mesonephric duct]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Parker & Blair |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1132388392 |title=Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates |date=2019 |publisher=EDTECH |isbn=978-1-83947-454-5 |oclc=1132388392}}</ref> They have a two-chambered [[heart]] consisting of four compartments: the [[Sinus venosus|sinus venous]], one [[Atrium (heart)|atrium]], one [[Ventricle (heart)|ventricle]], and [[Infundibulum (heart)|conus]].<ref name=":11">{{Cite journal |last=Randall |first=D. J. |date=1968-05-01 |title=Functional Morphology of the Heart in Fishes |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/8.2.179 |journal=American Zoologist |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=179–189 |doi=10.1093/icb/8.2.179 |pmid=5738636 |issn=0003-1569}}</ref> Perch have a [[swim bladder]] that helps control [[buoyancy]] or floating within the water, the swim bladder is only found in bony fish. In perch, the duct connecting the swim bladder to the [[pharynx]] is closed so air is unable to pass through from the mouth, these fish are called [[Physoclistic|''physoclists'']]. Specifically in perch, the gas bladder can vary from 12% to 25% of [[Oxygen]] and 1.4% to 2.9% of [[Carbon dioxide]] gas.<ref>{{Cite book |last=B. |first=Chiasson, Robert |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/640832481 |title=Laboratory anatomy of the perch |date=1991 |publisher=Wm. C. Brown |oclc=640832481}}</ref> Perch [[Reproductive organs of fish|reproductive organs]] include either a pair of [[testes]] (sperm-producing) or a pair of [[Ovary|ovaries]] (egg-producing).<ref name=":02" /> [[File:Oste082p labelled.png|thumb|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.<ref>{{Citation |last=Houseman |first=Jon |title=English: Internal Anatomy of the Perch Perca flavescens. |date=2013-05-22 |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oste082p_labelled.png |access-date=2022-05-10}}</ref>]]

==Habitats==

Perch are classified as [[carnivore]]s, choosing waters where smaller fish, [[shellfish]], and insect [[larva]]e are abundant. The perch can be found in the central parts of the United States in freshwater ponds, lakes, streams, or rivers. These fish can be found in freshwater all over the world, and are known to inhabit the [[Great Lakes|Great Lake]] region, in particular [[Lake Erie]]. These fish inhabit bodies of water where vegetation and debris is readily accessible. In the spring when the perch chooses to [[Spawn (biology)|spawn]], they use vegetation to conceal their eggs from predators.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pringle |first=Robert M. |date=2005-09-01 |title=The Origins of the Nile Perch in Lake Victoria |url=https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2005)055[0780:TOOTNP]2.0.CO;2 |journal=BioScience |volume=55 |issue=9 |pages=780–787 |doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2005)055[0780:TOOTNP]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=13720490 |issn=0006-3568}}</ref>

==Fishing==
Perch are a popular [[gamefish|sport fish]] species. They are known to put up a fight, and to be good for eating. They can be caught with a variety of methods, including [[Fishing float|float]] fishing, lure fishing, and [[Bottom fishing|legering]]. <!-- not encyclopedic how-to  Methods includ using a small hook and casting into the weeds just before the drop off. When fishing with bait, the angler will want to have a [[disgorger]]; perch are notorious for swallowing the hook, and will need aid of a [[disgorger]] or [[forceps]] for unhooking. In many parts of the world, they are also a favourite species among ice fishermen. They will take a variety of baits, including [[minnow]]s, [[worm]]s, [[maggot]]s, [[Common goldfish|goldfish]], pieces of raw [[bacon]], [[prawn]], and softshell [[crayfish]], but seem to prefer shrimp ([[Caridina]], [[Neocaridina]], [[Palaemon (genus)|Palaemon]]), [[Krill]], small fish, [[Lob worm|lobworms]], [[ragworm]]s, red [[maggot]]s, and [[Fishing lure|lure]]s.--> Fly fishing for perch using patterns that imitate small fry or invertebrates can be successful. The record weight for this fish in Britain is {{convert|2.81|kg|lboz|frac=2|abbr=on}}, the Netherlands {{convert|3.05|kg|lboz|frac=2|abbr=on}},<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://beet.nl/record/nederlands-record-baars-56-cm/|title = Nederlands record baars 56 cm - Bekijk de foto's, lees het vangstverslag!}}</ref> and in America {{convert|2.83|kg|lboz|frac=2|abbr=on}}.

Perch grow to around {{convert|50|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|5|lb|kg|1|abbr=on|order=flip}} or more, but the most common size caught are around {{convert|30|cm|ft|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|1|lb|g|sigfig=2|abbr=on|order=flip}} or less and anything over {{convert|40|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|2|lb|g|sigfig=1|abbr=on|order=flip}} is considered a prize catch.

==See also==
*For other perch not in the genus ''Perca'', see [[Perch (disambiguation)]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline|Perca}}

{{Seafood}}
{{Meat|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q600262}}

[[Category:Perch| ]]
[[Category:Sport fish]]
[[Category:Vermont cuisine]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]