Similarities And Differences Among New York's Perch

Similiarities and differences among New York's perch species
Species	Description	Habitat	Reproduction	Feeding	Fishing Information	Comments
Yellow Perch	6-12" long Yellow to yellow green with 5-9 vertical black bars on sides No distinct canine teeth	Clearer waters of ponds, lakes and reservoirs with muck, sand or gravel Most abundant in open water with moderate vegetation, but sometimes found in streams	Spawns in early spring (April-May) Migrate into shallow, weedy areas Deposit long (up to 7") strings of eggs over vegetation during the night and early morning	Eats aquatic insects, crayfish and fish Feeds mostly in morning and evening	Popular year-round sportfish-esp. for ice-fishermen Fish along weedbeds and drop-offs with minnows, worms, grubs and a variety of small lures	Very common - found in many waters throughout New York State
Walleye	10-25" long Brownish yellow to greyish yellow (occ. blue-grey) - no cark vertical bars on sides Large canine teeth Resembles sauger, but has dark spot on bottom rear of first dorsal (back) fin	Prefers large, shallow turbid lakes but also present in large streams and rivers Found near bottom in deeper water Will move into shallow water at night	Spawns at night in early spring (March-April) just after ice-out Scatters eggs over gravel bars in streams and shoals in lakes	Young eat aquatic insects and crayfish Adults prefer fish	Popular sportfish in smaller waters - stillfish with worms, minnows, leeches, jibs, spinners, spoons and plugs For larger waters - try drifting or trolling Also, in spring and fall cast minnow imitating plugs along rocky points, shoals and weedbeds after dark	Largest member of the perch family Found in many New York waters Are most active at night
Sauger	10-18" long Brownish grey with yellow and 3-4 saddle shaped blotches Large canine teeth Resembles walleye, but no dark spot on dorsal fin	Deeper waters of lakes, reservoirs and large rivers	Spawns late spring (May-early June) - later than walleye Scatters eggs over rocky bottom	Similar to walleye Young eat aquatic insects and crayfish Adults prefer fish	Use same methods listed for walleye	Limited distribution in New York State Found only in Lake Champlain system
Darters	2-5" long Color highly variable Small teeth Air bladder reduced or absent (well defined in other perch)	Variety of habitats including lakes, ponds and streams Most species adapted for stream life and prefer good quality water with low turbidity and some current	Each species have their own specific ritual All species have elaborate spawning behaviors with breeding males displaying bright colors Eggs are individually placed Male guards eggs and young	Feed on bottom Eat aquatic insects and crustaceans	Not actively pursued by anglers because of small size	May species of darters that live in New York waters are sensitive to changes in habitat. Therefore distributions of some species have been reduced.