Perch Lab
Perch Dissection Lab- Pre AP Bio- Vu
Perca flavescens
The Perch is possibly the most abundant fish in North America. It is classified under the phylum Chordata which means it has a notochord; a flexible rod-shaped body found in embryos. It is under the class Actinopterygii, order Perciformes, and family Percidae. Perch are primarily carnivorous fish that are mostly found in small ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams. Predators of the perch include larger fish such as the Large mouth Bass, Bluegill, Black Crappie, and other sun fish. Some species of birds, turtles, and large bullfrogs can be predators at times as well. Perch prey on insect larvae, crustaceans, and/or small fish. Their color seems to range from brassy green/brown to golden yellow. Perches, like all fish, have the job of maintaining the stability of the aquatic ecosystem in which they reside and play a key role in their habitats.
Parts of a Perch
Circulatory System
The perches circulatory system is a very low-pressure system in which its two-chambered heart is a single pump and has only one circuit of blood flow. Deoxygenated blood is first pumped through the heart to arteries; which distribute blood from the heart to the tissues, and up towards the gills. In the gills, the blood becomes oxygenated and makes its way directly to the body where it goes through veins whose job is to move the blood back the the heart. The perch has a circulatory system very similar to that of humans besides the fact that humans have a four-chambered heart and lungs.
Human Impact
Perch are popular sport fish and prized for their delicious flavor. They are considered one of the finest type of panfish and are often seen on many menus in the restaurant industry. People have also changed their eating habits, in school zones they have made themselves easier to catch due to their feeding habits. While they were originally caught by recreational fishers, intense harvesting has caused a decrease in their population. They are also impacted, like all fish, by pollution.
Adaptations
The perch have made adaptations that now allow them to live in a wide variety of water. They can live in fertile water, or even slightly turbid water. While they prefer a pH of 7-8 they have been found in waters with pH of 3.9 to 9.5. They also have specialized teeth called palatines. These teeth allow the perch the eat some species of small fish or insects. They also can use small filters in their gills called gill rakers to filter out things like zoo plankton.
Location
Perch are native to much of North America. A perch was first described in New York state by a man named Samuel Latham Mitchill. Changes in age, growth rates, and size have been seen among perch, possibly due to the different day lengths and temperatures of their locations.
Obgectives
In this lab students worked with their dedicated lab group in order to learn more about the anatomy and functions of a perch. Dissection gives students to observe the placement of organs on hand, and makes it easier for them to learn their functions. Students were given special dissection scissors and tools to aide them in opening the fish and to aide them in looking for organs. With this dissection students could see all body parts up close and personal instead of having to look at a drawing or representation of what it looks like.
Perch Dissection.wmv
Works Cited
- http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/fishing/freshwater-tips/panfish/perch-fishing-tips.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perch
- http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/yellow_perch.htm
- http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/fishfacts/yellowperch.asp
- http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-a-fishes-niche
- https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080529074258AAkHbKm
- http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2010/dorff_kell/adaptation.htm
- http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_perch