|
Perciformes or perch like fish is an order that has the largest number of species with the greatest variety of any other order of fish. This order is divided into twenty suborders with over 150 families and more than 6000 species. The suborder Percoidei or perches contains more than ninety families which makes it the largest group within the perch like fishes. About thirty of the perch families still remain a mystery since very little is known about their habits. In the ocean the perch prefer warmer waters with many species found in the tropical and subtropical waters. Of these marine perch most live in tropical coastal waters while many, such as the damsel fish, can be found making their home in the coral reef areas. Some, such as weevers or stargazers, are benthonic and can be found along the ocean floor.
Goat fish and some species of drums are schooling fish that live in the warm seas off the coast lines with the drums preferring muddy bottoms while the goat fish prefer stony bottoms. Remoras, such as the jacks, and other such species prefer to inhibit the upper levels of the open ocean. There are also fresh water perch which can be found in lakes, ponds and rivers of both tropic and sub-tropic areas. A few species of perch and popes can even be found north of the Arctic Circle. Many of the perch species can be distinguished by their large, distensible mouth which contains sharp teeth. While some species are known to lie in wait for their prey or actively pursue prey, there are others who are herbivores or omnivorous. One of the more interesting groups in terms of diet includes the butterfly fish. They feed mostly on invertebrates that are living between the corals using their brushy teeth at the edge of their gills to break off bits of the coral. In some species of this fish the mouth is at the end of a long, pincer type structure, enabling them to penetrate deeper into the coral in search of hidden prey while the goat fish search along the ocean floor with their barbels.
The behavior of the various different species of the perch fishes vary in relation to spawning and reproduction. In most cases the species will lay eggs. These are fertilized in open water after which they sink to the bottom. But in a few species the eggs will float freely in the water. This is most apparent with jacks, groupers and a few species of drums. With fresh water perch free floating eggs are found only thing the Aucha perch which is from the Amur region. In the majority of fresh water perch the eggs are are laid on rocks, plants or the or bottoms of their habitats. While in some species each egg is laid singly, in others they are laid in groups. After they females lay the eggs they are, in most cases, left unguarded with no further care from the parents. But in some species the young are guarded mostly by the males after the eggs hatch. Of the species with most highly developed brood care the cichlids are found to be one of the most interesting. Cichlids are fresh water mouth brooding fish, with the eggs being carried in the mouth of the females. In the marine species of mouth brooders the male cardinal fish are known to carry the eggs in their mouth and occasionally the females of this species will follow suit. But this is much less common in the females. The surf perches are the only live bearing species of the perch while some species such as sea bass and porgies are known to be fertile hermaphrodites.
|
| |
