Perch Perfect
Perch Dissection Virtual Lab by: Tina Liu - Vu - PAP Bio - 4
OBJECTIVES
The objective is to give each student an opportunity to observe the placement and relationship of organs within a perch fish.
PERCA - the general information
How do we classify a perch? A perch fish is placed in the Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Superclass Osteichthyes, Class Actinopyerygii, Order Perciformes, Family Percidae, and finally, Genus Perca.
Where can we find perch? Perch are most commonly found in freshwater small ponds, lakes, streams, or rivers.
What do perch look like? Perch have a lateral line system that is sensitive to vibrations in the water and opercula that protect the gills. They also have sharp spines in the first dorsal fin, anal fin, and mounted on the gill cover to provide protection against predators. They are grey to white bellied so predators from beneath do not easily view the fish from below; they have darker, green to yellow sides to protect from predators above them.
The relationship between the perch and its fish friends
Predators
Predators of perch include larger fish, such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and bluegill, birds, such as gulls, eagles, and herons, other fish-eating animals, such as turtles and bullfrogs, and even humans.
Example of a food web
Perch are generally the secondary or tertiary consumer in a food web. In this example, the insects, worms, and snails consume algae and phytoplankton and protozoans and bacteria which is then consumed by the perch. The perch is consumed by the largemouth bass and the northern pike.
Prey
Perch usually feed on smaller fish, shellfish, or insect larvae. Many perch enjoy eating earthworms, beetles, freshwater leeches, crayfish, mosquito larvae, and even catfish.
Map of the most occupied perch places
We can tell from the diagram that most of the perch in the United States lives in the Great Lakes. As we examine the diagram more, we notice that many perch follow the rivers coming down from the Great Lakes as well.
Circulatory System
A perch has a heart that consists of one atrium and one ventricle. The venous (deoxygenated) blood is pumped through the heart and to the lungs. After it is oxygenated, it goes directly to the tissues, then travels back to the heart. The blood makes a single circuit where it is pumped, oxygenated, distributed to the tissues in the body, and back to the heart. The circulatory system provides the oxygen to the muscles so the perch can function. A perch has a closed circulatory system, meaning the blood is pumped by a heart through vessels, and does not normally fill body cavities.
This is a simple circulatory system view on a perch. We can see how the blood flows from the one atrium and one ventricle out to the gill capillaries and then makes its way around the fish.
This is an oversimplified version of the perch circulatory system. The one atrium and one ventricle are shown and we see the path it makes around the perch.
This is a diagram that shows the different parts of the perch circulatory system.
Evolutionary relationship of a perch (cladogram)
Perch are placed in the class actinopterygii, so they belong in the ray-finned fishes classification.
Inside a perch
Operculum - cover and protect the gills
Atrium - receive oxygen-rich blood
Ventricle - pump blood out
Pharynx - allows fish to eat larger fish
Esophagus - leads the mouth to the stomach
Stomach - break down the food consumed
Liver - creates protein
Intestine - digest the food further
Kidneys - rid the body of nitrogenous waste
Swim Bladder - enables the fish to maintain its depth
Atrium - receive oxygen-rich blood
Ventricle - pump blood out
Pharynx - allows fish to eat larger fish
Esophagus - leads the mouth to the stomach
Stomach - break down the food consumed
Liver - creates protein
Intestine - digest the food further
Kidneys - rid the body of nitrogenous waste
Swim Bladder - enables the fish to maintain its depth
Outside a perch
Dorsal fin - assists sudden turns and stops
Caudal fin - provides thrust (motion)
Anal fin - keeps the body upright
Pelvic fin - allows turns and rear thrust
Pectoral fin - allows up and down motion
Caudal fin - provides thrust (motion)
Anal fin - keeps the body upright
Pelvic fin - allows turns and rear thrust
Pectoral fin - allows up and down motion
Perch brain
Medulla - vital parts (breathing)
Cerebellum - coordination of movement
Midbrain - vision and body movement
Cerebrum - thought and action
Cerebellum - coordination of movement
Midbrain - vision and body movement
Cerebrum - thought and action
Perch Dissection
Perch Dissection Quiz
Think you know the perch anatomy? Test yourself on this virtual quiz!
Did you know...
As the fish grows, it develops a humped back!
Perch breed late spring, laying their eggs on any soft weed beds they can find!
Perch fish is consumed all over the world and it generates substantial commercial income from fish farming!
Perch breed late spring, laying their eggs on any soft weed beds they can find!
Perch fish is consumed all over the world and it generates substantial commercial income from fish farming!
Human impact
The perch is consumed worldwide. The species alone provides jobs for people and boosts the economy. Its meat is cooked by cooks worldwide and is widely popular.
Works Cited
http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/cek7/nyfish/Percichthyidae/white_perch.jpg
http://www.smithlifescience.com/comparativeanatomy.htm
http://www.dw.de/eu-demand-for-fish-exceeds-sustainable-supply/a-17546155
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/yellow_perch.htm
http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/photos/birds/western_gull_4115np.jpg
http://sol.lcbp.org/biodiversity_lake-champlain-food-web-changing.html
http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/perch.jpg
http://www2.gsu.edu/~bioasx/closeopen.html
http://biobook.nerinxhs.org/bb/systems/circulation/500px-Two_chamber_heart.png
http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/classification/class_images/cladogram2.gif
http://www.kidsbiology.com/animals-for-children.php?animal=Perch
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/sec004_gp5/foreign_species_and_biodiversity
http://www.smithlifescience.com/comparativeanatomy.htm
http://www.dw.de/eu-demand-for-fish-exceeds-sustainable-supply/a-17546155
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/yellow_perch.htm
http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/photos/birds/western_gull_4115np.jpg
http://sol.lcbp.org/biodiversity_lake-champlain-food-web-changing.html
http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/perch.jpg
http://www2.gsu.edu/~bioasx/closeopen.html
http://biobook.nerinxhs.org/bb/systems/circulation/500px-Two_chamber_heart.png
http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/classification/class_images/cladogram2.gif
http://www.kidsbiology.com/animals-for-children.php?animal=Perch
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/sec004_gp5/foreign_species_and_biodiversity