The Sacramento perch is the only native sunfish to California. It has declined significantly due to habitat loss from drainage projects in the 1800s and competition from introduced species like bluegill. However, the Sacramento perch was once an important commercial fish. It feeds on insects, crustaceans, and smaller fish. Though now only found in a few isolated lakes and rivers, efforts are underway to restore the Sacramento perch population due to its benefits of controlling mosquitos and its status as a unique native species.

2. The Sacramento Perch attributes
• The Sacramento Perch (Archoplites
interruptus) is the only native Sunfish
to the Western United States.
• The Sacramento Perch, is actually not
classified a Perch but a member of the
Centrarchidae family.
• They can grow up to 12 inches long and
live up to 6 years.

3. The Sacramento Perch History
• 1861.The California Legislature authorizes the Reclamation District Act, allowing drainage of Sacramento–San
Joaquin –Delta lands and construction of sturdier levels, eliminating vast amounts of habitat previously occupied by
perch.
• 1872. J. A. Poppe introduces common carp (Cyprinus carpio) from Germany into a pond in the Sonoma Valley; this
species is found to prey on perch eggs and destroy spawning substrates.
• 1888–1899. Sacramento perch are noted as an important food fish in San Francisco fish markets with 40,000 to to
432,000 pounds of fish harvested per year during this period. It is likely that these fish came from the lower
Sacramento River and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta.
• 1930. Sacramento perch are described as abundant in Clear Lake (Coleman 1930).
• 1931. Neal (1931) notes that the perch are found “only in the few places where the non-native [fish]species are rare or
absent."
• 1950–1960s. Sacramento perch are found to be largely absent from the Delta in surveys by the California.
• 1980. Vanicek (1980) describes the decline of the Lake Greenhaven population and speculates that introduced
centrarchid fishes (mainly bluegill) are the cause of decline.
• 1995. CDFG lists the Sacramento perch as a Species of Special Concern.

4. The Sacramento Perch diet
Sacramento Perch are mostly piscivorous (fish eaters).
They also eat:
• Amphipods(malacostraca crustaceans)
• Copepods(crustaceans)
• Cladocereans(zooplankton)
• Chironomids(small flies)
• Beetles
• Caddisflies,
• Dragonfly/ damselfly nymphs
• Insect larvae
• Snails

5. Sacramento Perch feeding comparison
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
amphipods cladocerans copepods chironomids insects unknown

6. The Sacramento Perch Habitat
• Sloughs
• Lakes
• Ponds
• Rivers
They can be found mostly near the gravel in
sluggish waters and by submerged Turfa Rocks
,off shore, where it is easy for them to catch
minnows.
They are known to be able to survive in extreme
conditions such as temputure, water quality,and
salinity.However, they are senstive to low water
levels.

7. Sacramento Perch Spawning
• Sacramento Perch spawn over large
cobble,
• gravel, and on vegetation.
• The average spawning time is 3-8 days
• The best temputure for spawning is 28-
25 degrees Celsius
• They spawn in mid june to early July

8. The Sacramento Perch Geography
• Sacramento Perch are native to Sacramento, San Joaquin
Valley, Pajaro, and Salinas River. However they have been widely
introduced throughout the United States.
• You can catch the Sacramento perch at Crowley Lake near
Bishop, Pyramid Lake in Nevada or Lagoon Valley Lake between Fairfield
and Vacaville.

9. Why the decline in Sacramento Perch
population?
• Sacramento Perch do not protect their nests and
were steadily replaced in the ecosystem by the
bass, crappie and bluegill.
• Competition for food and space with exotic
Centrachids.
• Reduced abundance of native cyprinid prey.
• Habitat degradation.
• Predation.
• Chemical Environmental Factors.
• Low Water Level.

10. Why bring the Sacramento Perch back
to Sacramento?
• Sacramento Perch are known to control the
mosquito population by feeding off mosquito
larvae.
• They taste good!
• They are almost considored endangered.
• They are the only native to the Sunfish family
in California.