White Perch

 | By xfernal on 2/7/2022 2:52:41 PM | Views (404)

The white perch (Morone americana) is not a true perch but is a fish of the temperate bass family, Moronidae, notable as a food and game fish in eastern North America. In some places it is referred to as "Silver Bass".

White perch are silver-green to olive in color. The underside of their lower jaw is often purple. Depending upon habitat and size specimens have begun to develop a darker shade near the dorsal fin and along the top of the fish. This sometimes earns them the nickname "black-back".  The spiny and soft dorsal fins are joined by a membrane. The anal fin contains three spines; the second spine is thicker than the first and almost as long as the third. There are no teeth on the tongue of the white perch.

White perch have been reported up to 49.5 cm (19.5 in) in length and weighing 2.2 kg (4.9 lb). Average length is 6-9 inches and less than 1 pound, most landlocked specimens less than 1/3 pound.

White perch are a schooling species that are semi-anadromous, meaning they move between estuarine and fresh waters to spawn. From April to June, when water temperatures average 50-60°F, white perch migrate from estuarine waters into large rivers where females release up to 150,000 adhesive eggs. Populations that are locked within reservoirs do not follow this pattern, but instead migrate within the reservoir. Immediately following the laying of the eggs, males release millions of sperm cells. In spite of this haphazard spawning ritual, the ratio of hatched eggs is enormous when compared to other fish. The young hatch within one to six days of fertilization.

Although favoring brackish waters, it is also found in fresh water and coastal areas from the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario south to the Pee Dee River in South Carolina, and as far east as Nova Scotia. They are also found in the lower Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, Long Island Sound and nearby coastal areas, Hudson and Mohawk River system, Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay. It is also found occasionally in small land-locked lakes and ponds.

They have a diverse diet including worms, shrimp, crabs, insects and small fishes. White perch are known to eat the eggs of many species native to the Great Lakes, such as walleye and other true perches. At times, fish eggs are 100% of their diet. They prefer to eat small minnows like mud minnows and fathead minnows. In the Chesapeake Bay, white perch commonly prey upon grass shrimp, razor clams, and bloodworms which are all common to the region.

Some states consider the white perch to be a nuisance species due to its ability to destroy fisheries. They have been associated with the declines in both walleye and white bass populations because they feed heavily on baitfish used by those species and outcompete them for food and space. Many states have enacted laws forbidding possession of live white perch. Additionally, these states recommend not releasing captured white perch back into the water to help control its spread.

Catch Information

Species:
White Perch