The Percidae are a family of ray-finned fish, part of the order Perciformes, which are found in fresh and brackish waters of the Northern Hemisphere. The majority are Nearctic, but there are also Palearctic species. The family contains nearly 250 species in 12 genera. The perches and their relatives are in this family; well-known species include the walleye, sauger, ruffe, and three species of perch. However, small fish known as darters are also a part of this family.
Despite the widespread and speciose nature of this family, the vast majority of its species diversity is within the darters, which are restricted to eastern North America, and the majority of which have small ranges. Excluding the darters, this family contains only 20 species.
Characteristics
The family is characterised by having the dorsal fin split into two which are normally separated or have a narrow connection, although this is wider in the genus Zingel, the front section contains the spines and the rear section contains the soft rays. but most of the species in the family are much smaller.
Systematics
The following classification is based on Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (2025):
- Subfamily Percinae <small>Rafinesque, 1815</small>
- Genus Gymnocephalus <small>Bloch, 1793</small>
- Genus Perca <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
- Genus Percarina <small>Nordmann, 1840</small>
- Subfamily Luciopercinae <small>Jordan & Evermann, 1896</small>
- Tribe Luciopercini <small>Jordan & Evermann 1896</small>
- Genus Sander <small>Oken, 1817</small>
- Genus †Leobergia <small>Schtylko, 1934</small> (Neogene of eastern Europe)