The Great Perch
Katherine Yin -PAPBio-Guzman-7
Objective
In this lab, each student will work with a lab group in order to learn from the dissection of the perch
Interesting facts
- Yellow perch can reach a maximum size of 18 inches.
- The largest yellow perch recorded in Maryland was caught in a Harford County farm pond in 2003 and weighed 3 lbs., 5 oz.
- Their method of spawning is unique in that female yellow perch lay their eggs in long gelatinous strands, usually floating or hanging from vegetation or some other structure.
- Yellow perch are found in approximately 13,000 acres of lakes and ponds, with tributaries to Chesapeake Bay furnishing considerably more water area.
Scientific name
The scientific name for the perch is Perca.
Predators
Predators include the belted king fish, channel cat fish, ring-billed gull, bullfrog, and eastern newt
Habitat
This fish lives in ponds, lakes, and streams. They need water with lots of vegetation. Yellow Perch often school, especially in deep water. They come into shallow water to feed at dawn and dusk. In the summer, Yellow Perch spend more time in shallow water than any other time of year.
Circulatory system
The heart of a perch consists of one atrium and one ventricle. Oxygen-poor blood is pumped through the heart and to the lungs, then after it is oxygenated, it goes directly to the tissues. The blood travels back to the heart, and is repeated.
TAXONOMY
The genus of the perch is perca.
HUMAN IMPACT
Humans are predators to the yellow perch. People help them by helping control the perch population.