# Yellow Perch (*Perca flavescens*) The Yellow Perch is a small fish with bright yellow stripes. They are very friendly and often swim in schools! - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 10 - **Habitat:** Lakes and rivers - **Also known as:** American Perch, Lake Perch ![Yellow Perch](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426163/objects/4675.jpg) ## Appearance The Yellow Perch has a distinctive golden-yellow body with 6-8 prominent dark vertical bars on its sides. Its fins are often bright orange to reddish, especially the lower ones, making it visually striking among freshwater fish. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** CHORDATA - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** PERCIFORMES - **Family:** PERCIDAE - **Genus:** Perca ## Interesting facts - The biggest Yellow Perch on record weighed over 1.9 kilograms! - Their eyes are specially made to see even in murky, dim lake waters! - These fish can form 'shivering' schools to confuse hungry predators! - Yellow Perch eggs hatch tangled together in long, jelly-like ribbons! ## Special abilities - **Striped Camouflage:** Yellow Perch has dark vertical bars that help them blend into weeds and shadows, making it hard for predators to spot them. - **Spiny Shield:** Yellow Perch has a strong, spiny dorsal fin that helps them protect themselves from bigger fish trying to eat them. - **Schooling Safety:** Yellow Perch can swim in large groups, helping them confuse predators and find food more efficiently as a team. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 15-30 cm - **Weight:** 0.1-0.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Swim Speed:** 15 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 20 m - **Water Type:** Freshwater ## Diet & Feeding A hungry fish that eats almost anything it can catch, from tiny bugs to smaller fish! - **Age differences:** Young perch start with tiny zooplankton and insects, while adults add bigger insects, crustaceans, and small fish. - **Primary Foods:** Insects, Crustaceans, Smaller fish, Fish eggs, Zooplankton - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Northern Pike](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-pike) (*Esox lucius*) — A major predator in many shared freshwater habitats. - **Eaten by:** [Walleye](https://www.snappit.app/explore/walleye) (*Sander vitreus*) — Larger fish that often hunt perch in lakes and rivers. - **Eats:** Water Flea (*Daphnia pulex*) — An important food source, especially for young perch. - **Eats:** [Golden Shiner](https://www.snappit.app/explore/golden-shiner) (*Notemigonus crysoleucas*) — Perch prey on this smaller minnow species. - **Eaten by:** [Largemouth Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/largemouth-bass) (*Micropterus salmoides*) — Feeds on perch, especially in weedy, shallow areas. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Yellow Perch? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Yellow Perch? 15-30 cm ### How much does Yellow Perch weigh? 0.1-0.5 kg ### How long does Yellow Perch live? 5-10 years ### What does Yellow Perch eat? A hungry fish that eats almost anything it can catch, from tiny bugs to smaller fish! ### How fast can Yellow Perch swim? 15 km/h ### Where is Yellow Perch usually found? Lakes and rivers ### How does Yellow Perch hunt? Ambush ## Where to spot - [Ascutney Mill Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ascutney-mill-dam) — New Hampshire, US · Historic Site - [Canoe Landing Prairie State Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/canoe-landing-prairie-state-natural-area) — Wisconsin, US · State Park - [Michigan Military Academy](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/michigan-military-academy) — Michigan, US · Campus - [Morris Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/morris-canal) — New Jersey, US · Historic Site - [Old Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/old-village-historic-district) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Revere Beach Parkway](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/revere-beach-parkway) — Massachusetts, US · Park [View all places to see Yellow Perch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yellow-perch) ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Yellow Perch: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-perch)