White Perch 367 



commercial fisheries from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras, 

 particularly in Chesapeake Bay. This species is one of the 

 major marine game fishes eagerly sought after by anglers 

 casting in the surf from shore or trolling or still-fishing in 

 boats close to shore. 



White Perch 

 Morone americana (Gmelin) 



Color: Olive, gray-green, or blackish above; sides and belly 

 silvery, sometimes brassy. Pale longitudinal stripes on 

 smaller fish, usually disappearing in larger fish. 

 Distribution: Occurs from Nova Scotia to South Carolina. 

 Size: Grows to about IS^/^ inches in length and a weight of 

 about 2 pounds. 



General Information: The White Perch is most plentiful 

 in brackish-water ponds, bays, and estuaries. It is often 

 landlocked in fresh-water ponds. This species reproduces 

 in both fresh and brackish water, but in fresh water the 

 average size of the fish decreases after several generations. 

 Spawning occurs in spring. The eggs are adhesive and stick 

 together in clumps or to any object they touch. The White 

 Perch feeds on small fishes, crustaceans, and other small 

 animals as well as on fish eggs. 



Economic Importance: A commercial species where abun- 

 dant. It is most important in the commercial fisheries of 

 Chesapeake Bay. The White Perch is frequently taken by 

 anglers in some localities. 



