PERCH 
Unlike the Three-Spined Stickleback (the male of which 
is red underneath, and the female pale yellow, during 
the breeding season), the Ten-Spined lacks these brilliant 
colours and becomes dark brownish. 
Pereh.—Perca fluviatilis (Fig. 60). This hump-backed 
tenant of our rivers, lakes, and other sheets of water is 
one of the handsomest of all with its rough bronze-green 
body, dark back, and vertical bands, and very prickly 
front dorsal fin which begins almost above the head. 
The Perch wanders about in shoals, and is so ravenous 
that, when on the feed, the whole number can be caught 
in a very short time. Even if a hook is lost, the same fish 
may be re-captured with the missing hook inside its mouth. 
It is a bold-biting and game little fish, and one is often 
deceived at the smallness of the specimen that has shown 
so much fight before being landed. The larger fish are 
more wary, but even so, I have had splendid bags of 
Perch which have weighed an average of 2 pounds each. 
Larger specimens weighing 3 to 4 pounds have fallen to 
my rod, but the maximum weight is heavier than this. 
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