Perch - the largest detachment of fish, numbering more than 10, 000 species, distributed across various bodies of water on the planet. Among the most common is the family of perch fish. Some species have ventral fins, which are located under the pectoral or in front of them. The fins of the perciform, as a rule, with spines. The number of rays is not more than six. The bases of the pectoral fins are placed obliquely or perpendicular to the axis of the body. In the percidae, there is no adipose fin. The swim bladder is not connected with the intestines or is completely absent. The detachment includes 160 families and 20 suborders.
What fish belong to the perch family
In the fresh and salt waters of the Northern Hemisphere, a family of perch occurs:
- in Europe, with the exception of Northern Scotland, Spain and Italy;
- in Norway, Greece;
- in North Asia, not including Kamchatka and Chukotka;
- in North America.
The dorsal fin is divided into soft and prickly parts, in some individuals they are combined, while in others they are located separately. The bristle-shaped teeth on the jaws fit in several rows, and some even have fangs. Gill membranes are free from the gill. Scales consist of thin, rounded, translucent plates with a serrated outer edge. The family of perch fish has ten genera and more than one hundred species, 7 of which inhabit the reservoirs of Russia. Perch is more widely distributed, followed by zander, brushes and chop.
In the Azov-Black Sea basin they catch sculpin and perkarina, as well as chop. Eteostomy, percina and ammocript can be found in North America.
Rod Perch
There are three types of perch: river (ordinary), yellow and Balkhash.
River bass is one of the most popular fish species. It lives in most bodies of water, as well as in mountain lakes, which are located at an altitude of several thousand meters.
The perch has a catchy color - a saturated green back, and the sides with dark stripes of a yellowish-green hue. The pectoral fins are yellow and the ventral fins are reddish. Orange shade round eyes. The color of the common perch depends on the environment, for example, in forest lakes it acquires a dark color.
Females become sexually mature after three years, and males as early as one or two years. Female eggs are laid on silt, driftwood. There are 200-300 thousand eggs, the number depends on the size of the female.
Freshly born perches live in the coastal zone, trying to stick together, and feed on zooplankton. Young perch becomes a predator when its body grows to a length of 10 cm, and then it begins to eat small fish.
For pike, perch perch is considered easy and tidy prey.
Common perch makes up the bulk of the catch in some bodies of water. It is eaten with pleasure. Perch is very voracious, so anglers catch it for a whole year with various gear.
Perca flavescens, Perca schrenkii
Yellow perch in all respects is very similar to river.
It lives in eastern North America and is considered a significant sport fishing destination.
Balkhash perch, unlike the river, has an elongated body. He has no dark spots on the dorsal fin. Balkhash perch is a predatory small fish that eats small fish with pleasure, but does not disdain its own fry. The perch grows slowly, grows to a length of 50 cm and weighs up to one and a half kilograms.
Perch is considered a commercial fish. They are dried, smoked, frozen.
Genus zander
The genus of pikeperch has a long body, the lateral line captures the caudal fin. The ventral fins are widely spaced, and fangs are usually present on the jaws.
The following types are distinguished:
- ordinary;
- bersh;
- nautical;
- light feather;
- Canadian.
Zander has about 20 branched rays that are located on the dorsal fin. Strong fangs are on the jaws. There is a very large fish, weighing 11 kg and 115 cm long. Basically, zander is 60 cm long and 3 kg in weight. Sudak - the largest species of the perch fish family - is widely known and popular in the waters of the Baltic, Azov and Caspian seas. The back is grayish in color, black stripes are located on the sides.
Residential and semi-aisle perch are two biological forms. The first prefers clean lakes and rivers. He feels comfortable at a water temperature of 16-17 degrees. Passing prefers brackish water. Approximately 90% of the total catch comes from semi-aisled zander. The eggs are small and prolific. Enemies: perch, eel, pike. River zander is considered a valuable commercial fish.
Sander volgensis
Volzhsky pike perch (bersh), unlike the ordinary one, does not have fangs, the overlay is entirely covered with scales. The weight of pike perch is 1.3 kg and the length is 45 cm. It is popular in the rivers of the Azov and Black Sea, as a rule, in the middle course.
Volzhsky is a freshwater fish, but sometimes it also enters the Caspian Sea. Volga pike perch lives in Sheksna, Kama, and it can also be found in southern bodies of water. The farther from the south the habitat of zander, the later spawning is transferred. When born, pike perch begins to feed on a small zooplankton, and as soon as it grows to 40 mm, it begins to consume benthos. In the second year, he switches to predatory food - perch fish. Pike perches that are longer than 15 cm eat exclusively fish. They have no fangs, so they can’t catch big fish. Pikeperch swallows fish from 0.5 to 7 cm. In the spring, it begins to feed on yearlings, in the summer, feeding saturation decreases, in the autumn, it feeds on older fish.
Sander marinus
Sea zander, unlike the Volga, has smaller eyes. The length of the pike perch is 600 mm. This fish is especially popular in the middle and southern Caspian, in the west of the Black Sea.
Zander, which lives in the Caspian Sea, practically does not enter the rivers. In the spring comes spawning. Eggs are larger than river zander. Fertility depends on the size of the female and varies from 13 to 126 thousand eggs. In two years, zander is ready for breeding. Sea pike perch prefers to eat young herring, gobies, sprats, shrimps. The fishing role is small.
Rod Ruff
In the ruffian genus, the fins on the back, consisting of prickly and soft parts, are interconnected, on the head there are cavities of susceptible channels, on the jaws there are bristle-shaped teeth. The following types are distinguished: ordinary, spittle and striped ruff.
Gymnocephalus cernuus
Common ruff is popular in large rivers, continental lakes and flowing ponds. Beware of rivers with fast flowing water. The body of the fish is covered with scales and mucus, compressed laterally. The back is gray-green with dark, almost black spots, the abdomen is white and yellowish sides. Black dots on dorsal and caudal fin. The eyes are large; the iris is a dull purple. The color of the ruff depends on the habitat. In reservoirs with a silty bottom, the color shade is darker than in waters with a sandy bottom.
Fish in length from 10 to 15 cm, weighing 20–25 g. There are individuals up to 30 cm in length, weighing up to 200 g, mainly in the reservoirs of Siberia and the Urals. In the spring comes a spawning season. At this time, females are able to lay eggs repeatedly. The ability to reproduce occurs in two years. Rapid maturation, excellent fertility contribute to the rapid increase in population.
After birth, an ordinary ruffe feasts on zooplankton, but after a while it switches to food by organisms that live at the bottom of the reservoir. The ruffs have a peak of activity at night, and he begins to eat intensely. The maximum age of the ruff is recorded, which is 10 years.
A spigot, unlike a ruff, has a longer body and small scales. It can be found only in bodies of water with a fast current. The body color is yellow, the back is greenish-yellow, the abdomen is white, slightly silver, several dark spots are visible on the sides. It spawns in the spring. It eats mainly benthic invertebrates and small fish. A very noble of the spaghetti turns ear.
The striped ruff lives in fresh waters with a sandy bottom and saturated with oxygen. It feeds on crustaceans, fish fry, caviar, and worms. The body shape is elongated, a large head, the dorsal fin has a small notch. The fish is slippery to the touch. Black longitudinal stripes are located on the sides of the body. The body is pale yellow, the belly is whitish-silver, the sides are golden yellow. Spawns in early spring.
Rod Chopi
Chops also belong to the family of perch fishes, but, unlike the ruffs, they have a fusiform-cylindrical body shape, two spaced dorsal fins, and a smooth lower edge of the preoperculum.
The following types of chop are distinguished: ordinary, small, French.
Chop ordinary has a cylindrical, slightly flattened body of yellowish-gray color. On the sides are distinguishable stripes of brown color. Popular in the Danube and its tributaries. The size of the fish can reach 48 cm. Mostly specimens 25 cm long are found. Chop prefers to be at the very bottom, feeds on small fish and bottom invertebrates. It spawns in March-April. The eggs are mostly small and sticky.
Zingel streber
Small chop is popular in the Danube and in the Vardar River, which flows into the Aegean Sea. Chop prefers twilight.
It feeds, as a rule, at night with larvae, worms, mollusks and crustaceans. The body length is 20 cm, and weight is approximately 200 g. It spawns in April-May. Fertility can reach 10 thousand eggs. The caviar is small, sticks to the substrate.
Zingel asper
The French chop leads mostly nightlife. It lives at the bottom of reservoirs. It feeds mainly on different bottom animals. Length ranges from 15 to 20 cm.
The body of the fish is grayish yellow. The abdomen is white, and on the sides are three brown stripes. It spawns from March to April. The life expectancy of a French chop is approximately 3.5 years. Chop is a small fish of the perch family distributed in the Rhone basin.
