American silver perch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids American silver perch |
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The American silver perch (scientific name: Bairdiella chrysoura) is a type of fish that lives in the ocean. It's also known as the silver croaker or goldtail croaker. This fish belongs to a group called "drums and croakers" (the family Sciaenidae).
You can find silver perch all along the eastern coast of North America, from New York down to Mexico. They are often caught by people fishing close to shore, even though they are usually looking for bigger fish. Most silver perch are about 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) long, but some can grow up to 30 centimeters (about 12 inches).
What They Look Like
The silver perch has a mouth that points a bit upwards, and its lower jaw sticks out more than its upper jaw. It doesn't have a barbel (a whisker-like growth) on its chin, but it does have three pairs of small holes there. These holes help scientists tell different types of drums and croakers apart.
Just in front of its gill cover (called the operculum), the silver perch has a few small, angled spines. Its top fin (dorsal fin) has 10 to 11 stiff spines and 19 to 23 soft rays. The fin underneath (anal fin) has two spines, with the second one being sharp and quite long, plus 8 to 10 soft rays.
This fish has a special two-part swim bladder that is connected to its inner ear. This means the silver perch has very good hearing, almost as good as a goldfish! Their bodies are usually silvery, with greenish or bluish colors on top. Their undersides are silvery or yellowish, and their fins are yellowish or grey.
Silver perch look a lot like sand seatrout or silver seatrout. However, seatrout usually have one or two noticeable "canine" teeth at the tip of their upper jaw and do not have chin pores like the silver perch.
Where They Live
Silver perch are native to the east coast of North America. They like to live close to shore in places like seagrass beds, tidal creeks, rivers, and marshy areas.
How They Live
Silver perch lay their eggs (this is called spawning) in shallow, salty parts of bays and other areas near the coast. This usually happens between May and September. They become adults and can have babies when they are about two or three years old, or when they are about 6 inches long.
Adult silver perch eat small crustaceans (like shrimp) and other small fish. They can live for up to 6 years.
Fishing for Silver Perch
People don't usually try to catch silver perch for sport because they are quite small. However, they are considered good to eat! Most of the time, fishermen catch them by accident (this is called "bycatch") when they are fishing for bigger fish like black drum or sheepshead near the shore. Sometimes, silver perch are even used as bait by fishermen to catch other fish.
Sources
- Smithsonian Marine Station
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
