European perch

Perca fluviatilis · The European perch is a predatory freshwater fish native to Europe and North Asia.

Also called Common perch, Redfin perch, English perch, Big-scaled redfin, Eurasian perch.

European perch
Photo: Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0
European perch
Photo: Lorenz Seebauer, CC BY-SA 4.0
European perch
Photo: Christa Rohrbach, CC BY-SA 2.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderPerciformes
FamilyPercidae
GenusPerca
SpeciesPerca fluviatilis

Where it lives

Lakes and rivers from Britain to Siberia; introduced to Australia and South Africa.

Fun facts

  • European perch can live up to 22 years, and older ones grow much larger, with the biggest ever recorded reaching 60 cm long.
  • Young perch eat zooplankton and even other baby perch, while adults hunt fish like sticklebacks, roach and minnows.
  • Female perch lay a single white ribbon of eggs up to one meter long, draped over underwater plants or branches.
  • Perch eggs hatch in just 8 to 16 days into tiny larvae only 5 millimeters long.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).