Aphredoderus sayanus
(Gilliams 1824)
Family Aphredoderidae
The pirate perch is the only living member of the pirate perch family. It has a large head and mouth, with the lower jaw protruding above the upper jaw. Its body is dark gray or brown, and is typically speckled with black. There is also a black bar on the caudal fin base. Pirate perch can be found in swamps, sloughs, ponds, lakes and backwaters, and in pools of creeks and small to large rivers. Individuals are often found among tree roots along banks of streams
Status & distribution
- Status — Native freshwater
- Florida Distribution — Western and North Central and Peninsula drainages
- River Drainages — Perdido River, Escambia River, Blackwater River, Yellow River, Choctawhatchee River, Econfina Creek, Apalachicola River, Ochlockonee River, minor Gulf tributaries, Suwannee River, Withlacoochee River, Tampa Bay, the Myakka or Peace River, Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades, Indian River, Tolomato/Matanzas River, St. John’s River and the St. Mary’s River