Zander Sander lucioperca

Linnaeus 1758

PERCIDAE FAMILY
Also called pike perch, lucioperca, sandre, abborrfisk, kuha

This species is native to eastern and central Europe, Sweden and Finland and western Asia. It has been introduced into several other European countries, including England and is rapidly extending its range. This species has depleted stocks of native fish in some areas where it has been introduced for angling.

The zander is very similar in body form and coloration to its close relative, the walleye, of North America. It is a slender fish with a pointed snout and a mouth with large, fang-like teeth. In large fish the upper jaw extends well beyond the center of the eye. The first and second dorsal fins are separate and both the dorsal and caudal fins have dark spots. The dark elongated spots on the dorsal fins form broken stripes. Color varies from greenish-gray to brown on the back and sides becoming lighter on the lower sides and white on the belly.

The Zander is a predatory species most abundant in large lakes and lowland rivers, preferring cloudy water and avoiding weed-beds. It hunts most actively at dawn and dusk, remaining inactive at other times, usually close to the bottom. While young Zanders are found in small schools with larger individuals becoming solitary.

The Zanders are not spectacular fighters, but due to their ability to offer a dogged resistance, they are valuable sporting fish. Methods of fishing similar to those used for northern pike but with lighter tackle. Most anglers freeline or ledger live or dead baits. Others find float fishing or using lures effective. In inland Europe, the Zander is an important food fish

Walleye Sander vitreus

Mitchell, 1818

PERCIDAE FAMILY
Also called yellow walleye, pike perch, walleyed pike perch, walleyed pickerel, yellow pickerel, yellow pike, yellow pike perch, walleye pike

This wide ranging North American species occurs from the Hudson Bay east to the St. Lawrence River, south to the Gulf coast of Alabama, and northwest of the Hudson Bay from Manitoba through the western Northwest Territories (including Great Slave and Great Bear Lakes) to the Beaufort Sea on the border of the Yukon Territory. In eastern drainages from Massachusetts southward it occurs all the way to the coast. It occurs from the Beaufort Sea south through Alberta, northeastern British Columbia and Montana to southern Arizona, the northern portions of Nevada and New Mexico, and then eastward to Georgia. Its western most limits are the states of Washington and Oregon where introduced populations occur.

The largest member of the perch family, it has been know to reach 25 lb (11 kg). Its closest relative and look a like is the sauger (Stizostedion canadense). Both have the large, glassy, opaque eyes that gave the walleye its name. In shallow water at night the eyes glow eerily under lights, readily identifying these fishes even before they can be seen. They sauger can be distinguished by the markings on their dorsal fins. The walleye's dorsal fin may be streaked, blotched, or plain, but lacks any clear spots and there is a prominent blotch at the posterior edge. On the sauger the fin is spotted and lacks any large blotch at the back edge. The lower lobe of the tail in the walleye is white tipped, a feature that is absent in the sauger. Internally, the walleye has 3 pyloric caeca each at least as long as the stomach, while the sauger has 3 9 (usually 5) pyloric caeca all considerably shorter than the stomach.

This is an extremely popular sport fish and an excellent food fish. The best fishing is at night when the walleye is feeding. The flesh is white to pink, firm and considered prime on the market

Sauger Sander canadensis

Smith, 1834

PERCIDAE FAMILY
Also called blue pickerel, sand pickerel, sand pike, gray pike, blue pike, river pike, pike perch, blue pike perch, sand pike perch, gray pike perch, spotfin pike, jackfish, jack salmon

It has a general distribution in Canada and the U.S. from Quebec to Tennessee and Arkansas, and from northwestward through Montana to about central Alberta. Between Alberta and Quebec it occurs in southern Saskatchewan and Ontario and throughout the Great Lakes to James Bay. It does not occur east of the Appalachians or much south of Tennessee except in a few drainages where it has been introduced, principally from the Carolinas around through the lower coastal states to as far as Texas on the Gulf.

It is the closely related to the walleye, Stizostedion vitreum, and the two appear almost identical. They can be distinguished by several factors, most noticeably, the sauger has distinct dark spots on the dorsal fin. The walleye may have dark streaks or blotches on the dorsal fin, but they are less distinct than the spots of the sauger and may not be present. Also, the walleye has one large dark blotch at the base of the last few spines of the dorsal fin, which is not present in the sauger. The sauger has 17 20 soft rays in the second dorsal fin versus 19 22 in the walleye. Identification is complicated by the fact that the sauger is known to hybridize in nature with the walleye. This hybrid is commonly referred to as a “saugeye”. The sauger is smaller than the walleye

Perch, yellow Perca flavescens

Mitchill, 1814

PERCIDAE FAMILY
Also called lake perch, American perch, ringed perch, striped perch, coon perch, jack perch

The yellow perch is a widespread species in the northern United States and in Canada. Although it occurs in nearly every U.S. state today, due to stocking, it is sparsely distributed in the South and through most of the West and Midwest. It blankets the northern U.S.A. and Canada, except British Columbia and the northern territories. In the east it ranges from Nova Scotia to the Santee River drainage, South Carolina and west through the Great Lakes states to the edge of British Columbia and into Washington. A narrow contingent extends north through Great Slave Lake almost to Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories, Canada.

The yellow perch, unlike the so called white perch, Morone americana, is a true perch, not a bass. Its most striking characteristic is its golden yellow body with 6 8 dark “fingers” or bands which extend from the back towards the belly.

Although the average size caught by anglers is 4 12 oz (0.1 0.34 kg) it provides fast action and can be caught all year long. It will devour almost any natural bait and many types of artificials, including flies, and is an active feeder even in the winter when it is caught while ice fishing.

It is one ofthe most abundant and well-known pan-fish in the northeastern United States. The flesh is white, flaky and delicious

Perch, European Perca fluviatilis

Linnaeus, 1758

PERCIDAE FAMILY
Also called perch, English perch, percha fluviatili, perche (in French)

The European perch is a widespread species throughout Eurasia (and has been widely introduced elsewhere) that is very popular with freshwater anglers. Its popularity with anglers is undoubtedly due to the diverse habitats in which it can be found including estuarine lagoons, lakes, rivers and streams.

One of only three extant members of the genus Perca, European perch can be distinguished from all other members of the Percidae family in Europe by 1) pelvic and anal fins yellow to red in color, 2) a conspicuous spot in the posterior part of the first dorsal fin and 3) 5-8 dark bars across the flanks that are often Y-shaped.

European perch have been recorded to live as long as 22 years. Males reach reproductive maturity at 1-2 years of age, while females don’t begin spawning until 2-4 years. Spawning generally takes place from February to July, depending on location. Juvenile perch are opportunistic predators that feed on a variety of benthic invertebrates. Once they reach roughly 12 cm in standard length, they become more piscivorous in nature, with an increasing amount of their diet consisting of small fishes.

Perch are highly sought after by anglers because they can be caught using a wide variety of baits. As with most fish, live or dead bait works extremely well and maggots, worms and craysfish are all reported to work well. Baits may be fished from a float near the surface or on the bottom, depending on the depth of the water. They will also readily hit artificial lures such as small spoons, plugs, jigs and also flies. They are also a common target for ice fishermen, especially in Scandinavia and Russia. European perch are also widely considered to be one of the best eating freshwater species of fish.