| Percidae Temporal range:Eocene to present | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Suborder: | Percoidei |
| Family: | Percidae Rafinesque, 1815[1] |
| Subfamilies | |
see text | |
ThePercidae are afamily ofray-finned fish, part of theorderPerciformes, which are found in fresh andbrackish waters of theNorthern Hemisphere. The majority areNearctic, but there are alsoPalearctic species. The family contains more than 200 species in 11 genera. The perches and their relatives are in this family; well-known species include thewalleye,sauger,ruffe, and three species ofperch. However, small fish known asdarters are also a part of this family.
The family is characterised by having thedorsal fin split into two[2] which are normally separated or have a narrow connection, although this is wider in the genusZingel,[3] the front section contains the spines and the rear section contains the soft rays.[2] Theanal fin contains 1 or 2 spines, if there is a second spine it is typically weak. Thepelvic fins are placed on thethorax and have a single spine and 5 soft rays. They also have skeletalsynapomorphies.[3] The maximum size attained is 100 centimetres (39 in) in thezander (Sander lucioperca)[4] but most of the species in the family are much smaller.[3] Their scales arectenoid and their bodies are normally somewhat elongate.[5]
The 5th Edition ofFishes of the World classifies the Percidae into fivesubfamilies[3] andFishbase recognises 239 species in 11 genera.[4][1][6]
