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Wild About Illinois Fishes!
Family Percidae - Perch Family
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae -The perch family is second only to the minnow family in diversity of North American fishes. Most species in this family are darters. Darters tend to live on the bottom of streams or lakes and dart about for food. They generally do not have a gas bladder. Characteristics include two dorsal fins, thoracic pelvic fins with one spine and five rays and ctenoid scales.
Species Gallery
western sand darter (Ammocrypta clara) [state endangered]
eastern sand darter (Ammocrypta pellucida) [state threatened]
mud darter (Etheostoma asprigene)
greenside darter (Etheostoma blennioides)
rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum)
bluebreast darter (Etheostoma camurum) [state endangered]
bluntnose darter (Etheostoma chlorosoma)
fringed darter (Etheostoma crossopterum)
Iowa darter (Etheostoma exile)
fantail darter (Etheostoma flabellare)
slough darter (Etheostoma gracile)
harlequin darter (Etheostoma histrio) [state endangered]
stripetail darter (Etheostoma kennicotti)
least darter (Etheostoma microperca)
johnny darter (Etheostoma nigrum)
cypress darter (Etheostoma proeliare)
orangethroat darter (Etheostoma spectabile)
spottail darter (Etheostoma squamiceps)
banded darter (Etheostoma zonale)
ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus) [probable]
yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
logperch (Percina caprodes)
blackside darter (Percina maculata)
slenderhead darter (Percina phoxocephala)
dusky darter (Percina sciera)
river darter (Percina shumardi)
sauger (Sander canadensis)
walleye (Sander vitreus)