| European perch | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Percidae |
| Genus: | Perca |
| Species: | P. fluviatilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Perca fluviatilis Linnaeus, 1758 |
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The European perch, Perca fluviatilis, is a predatory species of perch found in Europe and Asia. In some areas it is known as the redfin perch or English perch, and it is often known simply as perch. The species is a popular quarry for anglers and has been widely introduced beyond its native area, into Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. They have caused substantial damage to native fish populations in Australia.
European perch are greenish with red pelvic, anal and caudal fins. They have five to nine dark vertical bars on their sides.
European perch can vary greatly in size between bodies of water. Perch can live for up to 22 years, and older perch are often much larger than average; the maximum recorded length is 60 cm (24 in). The British record is 2.8 kg (6 lb 2 oz), but they grow larger in mainland Europe than in Britain, and to as much as 9 kilograms (20 lb) in Australia.[1] As at Nov 2010 the official all tackle world record stands at 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) although individual records from various areas record larger fish.[2][3]
The perch spawns (in the Northern Hemisphere) at the end of April or beginning of May, depositing the eggs upon water plants, or the branches of trees or shrubs that have become immersed in the water; it does not come into condition again until July. The eggs have been known to stick to the legs of wading birds and then transferred to other waters that the birds visit.
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The first scientific description of the river perch was made by Peter Artedi in 1730. He defined the basic morphological signs of this species after studying perch from Swedish lakes. Artedi described its features, counting the fin rays scales and vertebrae of the typical perch.
In 1758 Carl Linnaeus named it Perca fluviatilis.[4] His description was based on Artedi's research.
Baits for perch include minnows, or brandling, red, marsh, and lob worms, shrimps and artificial lures. The tackle needed is fine but strong. Artificial lures are also effective, particularly for medium-sized perch.
Keeping of perch requires a large tank and a suitable diet. The tank needs to be thickly planted with plants such as Elodea, Egeria and others. Perch can be kept in ponds with other appropriate fish; as with most fish, larger ones may consume fry if they are available. A suitable diet is earthworm, flakes, silversides and frozen foods such as blackworm. If fed properly Perch tend to phase away from small fish.
Because of their similar appearance and ability to cross-breed, the yellow perch (Perca flavescens) has sometimes been classified as a subspecies of the European perch, in which case its trinomial name would be Perca fluviatilis flavescens.
However, it is unclear whether or not hybrids are viable, and most classifications treat the two fish as separate species. According to NatureServe, allozyme data indicates that Perca fluviatilis and Perca flavescens are separate species.