Perch

[Fr., from Gk. perkel\ The name of several species of fishes of the genus Perea, fre¬ quenting the fresh waters and coasts of temperate and tropical regions. The fresh-water perch widely distributed in lakes, ponds, and rivers Europe, Asia, and North America. It is greenish yellow on the back, and bright yellow on the sides, which are marked with from five to seven blackish bands. The perch is very voracious, devouring smaller fishes, insects, worms, etc. It can exist out of water fora considerable time.