Silver Perch
Bairdiella chrysoura
(Brandi Noble/NOAA NMFS SEFSC Pascagoula Laboratory)
The silver perch is a small drum with a silvery body and yellowish fins. It lives in the Chesapeake Bay year-round, most commonly found in shallow waters from spring to autumn.
Appearance:
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Greenish or bluish-gray body
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Faint, dusky stripe that runs along the length of the body to the tail
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Silvery belly
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High, rounded back
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Deep notch in the dorsal fin
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Fins on the lower part of the body are yellowish
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Grows to 9 inches long
Habitat:
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Found in shallow waters, particularly in the lower part of the Bay
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Moves to deeper, water waters in winter
Range:
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Lives year-round in the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay
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Usually caught between spring and autumn, with a peak in September-October
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Rare north of Baltimore
Feeding:
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Eats small crustaceans and bristle worms
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
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Spawns in spring along the shallows of the Bay’s eastern shore
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Larvae and small juveniles migrate upstream into fresher waters. As they grow, they move back down to the Bay, gathering in higher-salinity shallows near bay grass beds.
Other Facts:
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Also known as sand perch
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A member of the drum family, which includes spot, weakfish, red drum, black drum and spotted seatrout. All drums are able to make a loud drumming or croaking sound by vibrating their swim bladder using special muscles. Atlantic croakers are the loudest of the drums.
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Can be confused with white perch. You can distinguish a silver perch by its yellowish fins and slightly pointed, rather than forked, tail.
Sources and Additional Information:
