Percidae
Perch
Family: Percidae
Origin: Eurasia
Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP) status
- Aotea — Exclusion
- Whole region — Sustained control
- Hauraki Gulf Controlled Area Notice pest
- Priority Lakes Tomarata and Rototoa
General description
Olive green-grey fish weighing less than 1 kg, with six or more dark vertical bands across its sides.
What you need to know
To help protect our environment:
- You must not distribute or release any perch within the Auckland region.
- You must not fish for perch in High Conservation Value water bodies or their catchments (see map) within the Auckland region.
Habitats
Still or slow-moving waterbodies, lake margins, wetlands.
Impact on environment
Contributes to poor water quality through consuming zooplankton, exacerbating algal blooms. Uproots plants, re-suspends sediments, can cause lakes to flip to alternative state devoid of vegetation with turbid water dominated by phytoplankton. Eats, competes with and displays aggression to native fish.
Control
Management
Check equipment and vessels for freshwater pests, clean everything that has been in contact with the water and dry everything thoroughly.
For more information about perch and how to manage them, please contact Auckland Council at pestfree@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
