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Sunday 29 January 2017

Perch

The perch is a predatory fish, slender, highbodied and designed to survive in all kinds of waters. Most authorities recognize three species within the perch genus.

The European perch (Perca fluviatilis) is found in Europe and Asia. 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 Balkhash perch (Perca schrenkii) is found in China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It is very similar to the European perch, and grows to a comparable size.

The yellow perch (Perca flavescens), smaller and paler than the European perch, is found in North America.

On the top side of the perch, 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.

They have paired pectoral and pelvic fins, and two dorsal fins, the first one spiny and the second soft. These two fins can be separate or joined.

The European perch's distinguishing feature is its saw-like dorsal fin, which is spiny all the way along the point and carries a black spot.

European perch

In fisheries, the European perch tend to a ghost-like pale color. In clear natural water, it displays its impressive dark back and stripes, running down to a greenish flank and light belly, contrasting with its red ventral and anal fins.

The perch’s scales are small and embedded deep in the skin, giving the fish a rough, tough skin, highly resistant to cuts from predators.

When looking through a microscope, the scales look like a plate with growth rings and spikes on the top edges.

Perch have a lateral line system, which a set of sense organs that are sensitive to vibrations in the water.

Yellow perch

An important characteristic of the perch is its ability to camouflage itself when hunting prey and hiding.

Perch feed on smaller fish, shellfish, or insect larvae, but can be caught with nearly any bait.

They have a wide distribution throughout the world, and are very plentiful in the Great Lakes, especially Lake Erie.

Perch can grow to 5lb or more, but the average size in Britain is about 2½ lb.

The official all-tackle world record for a perch is 3.75 kilograms (8 pounds, 4 ounces), caught by Stephan Gockel in the Meuse River, Netherlands in 2010. The fish was 58 centimeters (23 inches) long. he largest perch ever recorded was caught in 1943 in Germany and weighed 7 kilograms (15 pounds, 7 ounces). However, this record is not recognized by the IGFA because it was caught using a net.



Source Daily Mail

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