European perch

The European perch (Perca fluviatilis), also known as the common perch, redfin perch, big-scaled redfin, English perch, Eurasian perch, Eurasian river perch, Hatch, or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply the perch, is a kind of predatory freshwater fish. It belongs in the genus Perca and lives in Europe and Siberia. It is typically less than 25 cm long. It has greenish basic colour with 5-9 black bands, and red fins.

European perch lives in fresh water (water which contains no salt or very little salt) and can be found in lakes, rivers, ponds and areas where sea water mixes with river water such as the Baltic Sea.Perca fluviatilis  Linnaeus, 1758 Fish Base 

European perch eats small animals in the water, such as insects, worms and small fish. It is most hungry early in the morning and late in the evening. European perch tastes good and fishermen like to catch it.

According to a study in February 2025, European perch is a highly fecund, trophic generalist that can live in a wide range of habitats and withstand a wide range of physico-chemical conditions.

European perch closely resembles the American yellow perch. Because of their similar appearance and possible ability to cross-breed, yellow perch is sometimes classified as a subspecies of the European perch, in which case its trinomial name would be Perca fluviatilis flavescens.

 Description 
European perch are greenish with red pelvic, anal and caudal fins. They have five to eight dark vertical bars on their sides. When the perch grows larger, a hump grows between its head and dorsal fin.

 Distribution and habitat 
The European perch lives in slow-flowing rivers, deep lakes and ponds. It tends to avoid cold or fast-flowing waters but some specimens penetrate waters of these type, although they do not breed in this habitat.

 Outside Europe 
European perch has been widely introduced, with reported adverse ecological impact after introduction. In Australia, the species is implicated in the decline of the now-endangered native fish, the Macquarie perch.
 Related pages 

 Yellow perch – a similar and related perch species
 List of fish common names

 References 


 Other websites 

 European Perch at iNaturalist
 Redfin Perch – Perca fluviatilis

Category:Perciformes
Category:Edible fish
Category:National symbols of Finland