Silver Perch

Image by Fishes of North Carolina on Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Physical: The silver perch has a silvery body that’s green or blue-tinted on the back and shifts to yellow toward the belly. Adults grow up to 9 in (22.9 cm). While it closely resembles the white perch, it can be distinguished by its yellow-tinted fins and somewhat pointed tail.

Habitat: Their native range spans from New York to Florida and down to northern Mexico. They live mostly inshore, with a preference for sandy and muddy bottoms. They will migrate to deeper water in the winter.

Feeding: Silver perch feed on crustaceans, worms, and smaller fishes.

Breeding: Spawning times vary across its range. In NJ, silver perch spawn from June to August. Adults will travel to bays, lagoons, and other salty or brackish water environments closer to shore. Juveniles will stay in the vegetated areas while they mature.