Partying with the Perch
Sam Golden- Perch Disection- 4/6/14- Vu PAP Bio 4th
Perca flavescens
-The perch is classified in Kingdom Anamalia (animals), Phylum Chordata (backbones), Class Osteichthyes (bony fish), Order Perciformes (ray-finned), Family Percidae (degree of armour around the head), and Genus Perca.
-The term "perch" derived from the Latin"perca" and the Greek "perke" in the 14th century, both referring to a spiny fish.
Objectives
-To explore the environment, life, and role of a perch.
-To analyze the anatomy of a perch.
Habitat
Most Perch species are adaptable to any form of habitat. However, a Perch, is best suited in clear water with moderate vegetation and lots of sand, mud, or gravel bottoms.
Life Cycle
After hatching from eggs, perch larvae later grow into juvenile perches. At this stage, the perches migrate to riverine waterholes, where they stay until they are adults. After this, the perches travel upstream where they mate and lay more eggs, thus restarting the cycle.
Predators of the Perch
Predators of the perch include larger fish, such as Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Chain Pickerel, Walleye, Bluegill and other sunfish. Birds, including herons, gulls, eagles, hawks, kingfishers, and mergansers eat them as well.
Diet
Young Perch eat mostly algae and plankton. As they get older, they will begin eating aquatic insects. Larger Perch eat small fish, insects, crayfish, snails, mussels, leeches, fish eggs, and worms.
Evolutionary History
Perches enter the evolutionary cladogram fairly early, missing several features of those of their ancestors.
Map
Perches are found mostly in the waters of North America.
Perches and Humans
Many people eat Perch, and they are a favorite among fishermen. Most people use worms or minnows to try to catch them. Perch also help people by controlling populations of other fish and aquatic animals.
THE DISSECTION
System at a Glance: Circulatory
The circulatory system of a perch consists of a heart that has one atrium and one ventricle (single circuit). Deoxygenated blood is pumped through the heart to the gills by way of veins and capillaries, where it is then oxygenated and sent back through the body of the fish, creating a cycle.