Featured in: Year 1: Animals, including humans
Perch
Fish
A common predatory fish with a humped back, spiny dorsal fin, and distinctive vertical stripes.
How to identify:
Look for a greenish, deep-bodied fish with bold, dark vertical stripes, a spiky fin on its back, and reddish-orange pelvic and tail fins.
💡 Fun Facts
- The perch's spiny front dorsal fin is a very effective defence, making it difficult for predators like pike or herons to swallow it.
- They lay their eggs in long, white, ribbon-like strands, which they drape over underwater plants.
- Young perch hunt in shoals, but as they get older and larger, they tend to hunt alone.