Agencies
Services
logperch
logperch (Percina caprodes) [female]
Photo © Lance Merry
logperch (Percina caprodes) [male]
Photo © Lance Merry
Features and Behaviors
FEATURES
The logperch has a distinctive cone-shaped snout that extends beyond its mouth. The back and sides are yellow-green, and the belly is an off-white color. The sides have 15 to 20 dark bars on a light background. A small, dark bar is present below the eye, and there is a small, black spot at the base of the tail. The male has an orange band at the base of the first dorsal fin. The average length of this fish is four to six inches. Its life span is about three years.
BEHAVIORS
The logperch lives in silt-free riffles of streams and rivers. In reservoirs it is found along the shores. This fish stays near the bottom. Spawning occurs in April and May. Males gather in large groups over a gravel or sand bottom of a riffle. A female swims into the group when she is ready to spawn. Mating with only one male, the pair becomes partially buried in the bottom sediments where the eggs are laid and fertilized. The logperch uses its snout to turn over rocks when searching for food. It eats insects, crustaceans and snails.
Illinois Range
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae
Illinois Status: common, native
