Bairdiella chrysoura
(Lacepéde 1802)
Family Sciaenidae

Lateral view of a silver perch
This silver perch was collected in Volusia County, Florida in 2015. It is now part of the Florida Museum ichthyology collection, UF 238138. Florida Museum photo by Zachary Randall

The silver perch is a member of the drum and croaker family. It has an oblong and unpatterned body, and the mouth is large and terminal. There are no barbels on the chin, and the preopercular angle is serrate. There are small teeth in upper and lower jaw. The silver body is darker on the back, typically golden to blue-gray. The pectoral and pelvic fins are clear to white. The silver perch is a marine species that enters a variety of nearshore water bodies including rivers, creeks, canals and ditches. It is found over sandy or muddy substrates.

Status & distribution

  • Status — Marine invader
  • Florida Distribution — Western and North Central drainages, the Gulf Coast, South Florida and the Atlantic Coast
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