- Temperate perch
Taxobox
name = Temperate perches
image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Maccullochella peelii peelii "
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Actinopterygii
ordo =Perciformes
familia = Percichthyidae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision ="
Bostockia "
"Coreoperca "
"Edelia "
"Gadopsis "
"Guyu"
"Maccullochella "
"Macquaria "
"Nannatherina "
"Nannoperca "
"Percichthys "
"Siniperca "The members of Percichthyidae family are known as the temperate perches. They belong to the OrderPerciformes or perch-like fishes.The name Percichthyidae derives from the Ancient Greek words "Perca" for 'perch' and "ichthyos" for 'fish' and translated basically means "perch-like fishes".
The temperate perches are closely related to the temperate basses of the
Moronidae Family, and older literature treats the latter as a belonging to the Percichthyidae Family. Australian freshwater Percichthyids were once placed in the Serranidae (marine grouper) family, and the two families are considered to have some link to each other.Around 22
species of Percichthyids are now recognised, grouped in around 11 genera. Most but not all are freshwater fishes. They are mainly found inAustralasia andSouth America , though some (notably genus "Siniperca", which has the largest number of species) are native toAsia , and some of the marine species are found as far north in the Pacific asCalifornia .Australia has the greatest number of Percichthyid species, where they are represented by the Australian freshwater cods ("Maccullochella spp."), which areMurray cod ,Mary River cod ,eastern freshwater cod andtrout cod , by the Australian freshwater blackfishes ("Gadopsis spp."), which areriver blackfish and two-spined blackfish, and by the Australian freshwater perches ("Macquaria spp."), which aregolden perch ,Macquarie perch ,Australian bass andestuary perch .Several other Australian freshwater species also sit within the Percichthyidae Family while research using mitochondrial
DNA suggests the species of the Nannopercidae family are in reality Percichthyids as well. Australia is unique in having a freshwater fish fauna dominated by Percichthyids and allied families/species. This in contrast to Europe and Asia whose fish faunas are dominated by members of the Cyprinidae carp family. (Indeed, Australia does not have a single naturally occurring Cyprinid species; unfortunately the illegal introduction of carp has now established the family's presence in Australia.)A number of species are or have been important food species; some of these (e.g. the
Murray cod , "Maccullochella peelii peelii") have becomethreatened through overfishing and river regulation, while others (e.g. theChinese perch , "Siniperca chuatsi "), are now farmed to some extent. Some smaller species (e.g.Balston's pygmy perch , "Nannatherina balstoni") are popular in aquaria.The extremely rare
Bloomfield River cod , "Guyu wujalwujalensis", is only found in a short stretch of the Bloomfield River in northQueensland .
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