In the United States the best known is the yellow perch, found mainly in the East and Midwest. Related to the true perch are the pike perch, the best known of which are the walleyed pike and the sauger or sand pike. Perch range in size from 1 to 3 pounds.
Yellow perch are olive green on the back blending to a golden yellow on the sides.
The lower fins are yellow or sometimes a bright red. There are six or seven distinctive vertical bars on the sides of the fish. The dorsal fins are definitely separated with two or three spines in the forward dorsal fin. Their mouths have many tiny teeth. This fish can be found in the Chesapeake Bay and rivers flowing into the Bay.