It is a silver-green fish, and on the flanks you can usually see 5-9 black vertical stripes, with a pair of ventral fins, a red anal and caudal fins, a pair of gray pectoral fins and two dorsal fins, with spines, a black spot can be seen on the first dorsal fin. The maximum known length is over 51 cm. On average, perch weigh 200-500 g, although the maximum known value is 5 kg. The body is covered with ctenoid scales. The lifespan can reach up to 22 years.
It lives in eutrophic freshwater (lakes, reservoirs, rivers, artificial pools). The optimal concentration of dissolved oxygen in water in which the perch lives is in the range of 4.4-7.0 mgO2 / l. It reproduces from March at a water temperature of 7-8 ° C until May-June. The spawning takes place on the vegetal substrate from the previous year. The duration of the embryonic period at a temperature of 16-20 ° C lasts 5 days, and at 11-12 ° C up to 18 days. The number of eggs laid can be 12-300 thousand, and their diameter is 2-2.5 mm. The embryonic sac of the larvae resorbs in 3-4 days after hatching. the larvae brake with zooplankton. In some aquatic regions at the end of the first year of life, the perch begins to feed on other small fish, becoming predatory. Mature perch in some water basins feed on zooplankton, chironomid larvae and other invertebrates. During breeding it can feed on the eggs of other fish species. Sexual maturation takes place between 3-5 years.
Some laboratory research by Russian researchers has found that perch perch more on fish of other species than they consume. It is highly valued by anglers. The flesh is white, soft, boneless. It is considered the national fish of Finland.