Silver compressed body that tapers to a slightly truncate to rounded tail with center blunt point. Fins may have a yellow cast to them. Deeply notched dorsal fin. Anal fin has two spines, first one short, second one long. Juveniles are small and silvery with dusky dark lines running diagonally.
Average Maximum Size:
30.5 cm (12 in)
Adults Distinguishing Characteristics:
Silver Perch feature a terminal mouth and moderately elongated snout. Compared to the Silver Perch the Stardrum features a much more blunt, low-slung, steeply downward angled mouth (e.g., bulldog) in addition to a pointed lanceolate tail.
Juveniles Distinguishing Characteristics:
Juvenile silver perch have diagonal dusky stripes that are absent in juvenile stardrum. Juvenile silver perch have a truncate tail fin while stardrum tail fin is lanceolate (pointed).
Range:
New York to Gulf of Mexico
Habitat:
Found in coastal waters with sandy or muddy bottoms. Can be found in estuaries and tidal freshwater settings. Utilizes estuaries as nurseries/feeding grounds during summer months.
