Yellow Perch

Perca flavescens or the Yellow Perch is found throughout much of North America, in many of the waters of the northen to mid U.S. and lower to mid Canada. Along with the Bluegill, they are also considered a type of panfish, typically growing to between 10 to 25 centimeters. These fish are extremely adaptable, able to live in a variety of water conditions leading to their proliferation. They prefer to live in shallow water, where they are a main source of food for Walleye and Largemouth Bass, and are very popular in the fishing scene and aquaculture industry of the Midwest. Perch will typically spawn in the spring, where the female will lay the eggs, and then leave. Males will spread their milt, or sperm, over the eggs, and may stay for a bit, but the eggs are typically left alone after this process is completed. A single female perch can lay up to eight times in her life, with around 23,000 eggs being encased in a jelly-like mass that deters predation.