Catchability and activity of Perca fluviatilis in relation to temperature is examined. The number of fish caught and water temperature during the 3 summer months was used the assess the numbers of hours of activity of perch. Parallel to the research on activity, large-scale marking was carried out to establish the periods of growth during the year

Hytinkosi, P.

Kukko ., O.

Lind, E. A.

Tenhunen, A.

Turunen, J.

Aquatic Commons

Freshwater Biological Association 
FBA Translation (New Series) No, 91 
Title: Activity of perch, Perca fluviatilis L. in relation to water 
temperature. 
Author(s) TENHUNEN A., HYTINKOSI P., KUKKO 0. , LIND E.A. & TURUNEN J. 
Reference: Kalamies 1973 (6); 4 
Original language: Finnish 
Date of publication of original: 1973 
Translator: Mrs T . Armitage 
Date of publication of translation: 1976 
Number of pages of translation: 6 
FBA Translations are to be considered as "provisional". As a rule 
they have not been prepared by expert translators, nor have they 
been edited by the original authors. 
They are available from The Librarian, 
Freshwater Biological Association, 
The Ferry House. 
Far Sawrey, 
AMBLESIDE, 
Westmorland, 
England, 
at the current rate for xerox copying. 
F.B.A. Translation (N.S.) No.: 91 
TENHUNEN A., HYTINKOSKI P., KUKKO O. , LIND E.A. & TURUNEN J. 
Activity of perch, Perca fluviatilis L. in relation to water temperature. 
Kalamies 1973 (6); 4 
Translated by T. Armitage. 
It is not difficult to catch perch during the spawning season. At 
this time up to two thirds of the fish in a small lake can be caught by 
using only cages. 
In the summer the perch is generally found in the warm surface waters 
and only rarely does it go into the deeper levels. In other words the 
perch seeks the warm water. With this in mind one might expect the changes in 
temperature to be reflected in the patterns of activity. 
Catchability and activity in relation to temperature. 
Of all environmental factors, the perch as a poikilotherm, is 
probably most affected by the variation in temperature. Light, air 
pressure, wind, carbon dioxide and oxygen quantities also have an effect 
on the activity of perch. 
Hergenrader & Hasler (1967) measured swimming speeds of the 
American yellow-perch in January - March and May - October periods. The 
water temperature varied from 1°-22°C and swimming speeds from 12 to 28cm/sec. 
The swimming speed increased nearly evenly with rising temperature, with 
maybe the greatest increase in speeds at 10° and 20°C. Thus activity in 
regard to swimming was greatest at the highest temperatures. 
Merivesi's (1969) results on perch catches in relation to temperature, 
show that the quantity of the catches increases with rising temperatures 
up to 15°C and after that starts to decrease. It is not so easy to catch 
a perch on a hot day. (sic!) 
While working on the diurnal periodicity of activity of the perch, 
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quantities of catches were also studied. (Lind & Tenhunen). The 
number of fish caught and water temperature during the 3 summer 
months are shown in the following table: 
The catch in July (the warmest month) is over twice the size of that in 
June and nearly three times that in August. Therefore the size of catches 
increases with rising water temperature, but not directly since the August 
numbers are a little less than in June despite the higher water temperatures 
in August. Thus the numbers caught are not only determined by temperature. 
Very high temperatures were not recorded during the study period. 
The number of fish caught and the number of hours of activity seem to 
be directly related, as shown in the table below. This shows the average 
number of hours when fish were active and the number of activity peaks, 
both per 24 hours. 
In July when the greatest numbers of fish were caught, the fish were 
active throughout the day and night. In June they were active for a few 
hours in the evening and night and in August activity occurred at sunset and 
sunrise. June and August activity periods were 2 and 3 times shorter 
-3-
respectively than in July. 
The numbers of hours of activity, i.e. the number of hours during 
which fish were caught is related to water temperature, as is shown in the 
figure. It also shows that there is not a linear relation, because 
activity increases almost evenly up to 15°C and at temperatures higher 
than 15°C there is a sudden rise in the number of hours of activity. 
In this respect these results differ with Merivesi's as his results 
show an opposite trend at temperatures higher than 15°C. Otherwise these 
two studies give similar results, and both indicate slightly less activity 
at temperatures of 13° - 14 C than at temperatures a few degrees lower. 
This decrease is undoubtedly due to the fact that at these temperatures 
spawning has already ceased after which the activity of the perch might 
be slightly reduced. 
A general feature was that both the catch size and hours of activity 
increased with rising temperature, therefore the perch must be more active 
in warm water rather than in cold. This is linked to the poikilothermic 
character of the perch, because with rising temperature the metabolic rate 
and feeding periods increase thus resulting in increased activity. 
Growth in relation to the seasons of the year. 
Parallel to the research on activity, large-scale marking was carried 
out to establish the periods of growth during the year. As the marking was 
done during all the summer months and as a control, also in winter, results 
on growth periods were soon obtained. 
After spawning, which took place in the beginning of June in lake 
Kiutajarvi, the fish generally had lost weight by the end of the month, 
or the weight remained unchanged. Any signs of growth only started to 
appear during the last days of June and the main period of growth was July 
-4-
and the beginning of August. The weight of fish marked in August, 
when caught at later dates (up to the following spring) was found to be the 
same or more often less than at the time of marking. In other words many 
perch had lost weight during the winter. 
In Ylempi Kalliolampi lake, where the population of big fish is 
sparse (Lind & Turunen) the perch grew also between August and the following 
June. But the greatest period of growth was July. The weight of one-year-
old perch increased during June and July from about 2g to 9g and the length 
from 7 to 9cm. In August weight decreased from 9g to 7g with length 
remaining the same. The population of fish in this size group was very 
dense. 
Same pattern emerged with the examination of the regeneration of 
injuries caused during catching. Most injuries occurred on the fins. In the 
fish marked during August and September the fin injuries had generally not 
healed by the following winter and spring, whereas in the fish marked during 
June and July regeneration had occurred regularly. 
In England in lake Windermere the growth of perch according to 
information on scales and operculum bones, starts in May - June and ends 
in September - October, greatest growth occurring during June - August. 
Hardly any growth occurs in water temperatures below 15°C. In England the 
growth period is considerably longer than in Finland. 
Growth and Activity 
The growth of perch is generally restricted to the warmest time of 
the summer, which in the north is July, There are some exceptions to this 
rule, such as in very sparse populations when growth might occur also at other 
times, mainly June, September and October. 
Activity, outside the spawning season, follows similar patterns, catches 
being 2 or 3 times greater during the warm water period than at other times. 
This period usually also occurs in July. Behaviour at very high temperatures 
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still requires more research. 
Also the activity pattern during a 24 hour period is related 
to temperature. With the rise in temperature, the hours of activity 
increase, and in an area such as Kuusamo, where there is sufficient light 
also through the night, this results in a non-synchronous activity 
pattern. 
Thus the growth, catchability and activity of the perch form a 
consistent inter-related pattern, which is best demonstrated during the 
warm water period in July. 
REFERENCES: 
HERGENRADER G.L. & HASLER A.D. 1967: Seasonal changes in 
swimming rates of Yellow Perch in Lake Mendota as measured by sonar. 
Trans. Am . Fish. Soc. 96: 373-382 
LeCREN E.D. 1951: The length weight relationship and 
seasonal cycle in gonad weight and condition in the perch (Perca fluviatilis). 
J.Anim.Ecol. 20: 201-219 
LIND E.A. & TENHUNEN A. 1971: Tagesrhythmik des Barsches, Perca 
fluviatilis L., in Naturpopulationen nahe des Polarkrelses. 
Manuskript 20pp Oulu. 
-6-
LIND E.A. & TURUNEN J. 1971: Kalapopulaatioista ja niiden tut-
kimisesta merkintamenetelmalla. (Summary: Pond populations of fishes 
studied by a multiple mark-recapture method). 
Luonnon Tutkija 75: 29-35 
MERIVESI A. 1969: Nappaako tanaan, opaskirja kalamiehille ka-
lantulon ennustamisessa. 
Helsinki 132 pp. 
Activity of perch in relation 
to temperature. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notice 
 
 
Please note that these translations were produced to assist the scientific staff of the 
FBA (Freshwater Biological Association) in their research. These translations were 
done by scientific staff with relevant language skills and not by professional 
translators. 
 
 
 


Activity of perch, Perca fluviatilis L. in relation to water temperature [Translation from: Kalamies 1973(6) 4.]

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Activity of perch, Perca fluviatilis L. in relation to water temperature [Translation from: Kalamies 1973(6) 4.]

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