CHAPTER XXIX 



THE YELLOW PERCH 



Give me some observations and directions concerning the Pearch for they say- 

 he is both a very good and a bold biting fish, and I would fain learne to fish for him. 



Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler 



Habitat and Distribution. Brilliant in coloration, abun- 

 dant and easy of capture, and possessing a firm, white flesh 

 of delicate flavor, it is no wonder that the yellow perch 

 {Per'ca flaves'cens, Fig. 159) is one of the best known of the 

 fresh-water fishes of the United States. Though found in 

 streams, especially in those with quiet reaches of water, the 

 yellow perch is more truly a creature of ponds and lakes. 

 There it prefers a pebbly or sandy bottom. Its range ex- 

 tends from Labrador to Georgia in the fresh-water rivers 

 and the lakes along the Atlantic coast, and westward in the 

 region of the Great Lakes and upper Mississippi Valley. 

 Though originally absent from the Far West, it has been in- 

 troduced with success into the lakes of Washington, Oregon, 

 and California. In structure and habits our yellow perch 

 very closely resembles the perch of Europe, referred to in the 

 quotation at the head of this chapter, and by some authors 

 it is considered to be identical with the latter species. 



External Structure. The body of the perch is elongate, 

 slightly compressed from side to side, and tapers toward 

 both ends. Three divisions are apparent, the head, trunk, 

 and tail ; several appendages, the fins, are attached to the 

 body. The covering is a smooth skin, containing pigment 

 cells, to which the colors are due, and glands which secrete 

 mucus. Within pouches in this skin are transparent scales, 



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