Mandarin fish

This article is about the carnivorous freshwater fish also known as the Chinese perch. For the saltwater aquarium fish also known as the mandarin goby, see mandarinfish.

Mandarin fish
Conservation status
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Percichthyidae
Genus:	Siniperca
Species:	S. chuatsi
Binomial name
Siniperca chuatsi (Basilewsky, 1855)
Synonyms
Perca chuatsi Basilewsky, 1855 Actenolepis ditmarii Dybowski, 1872

Siniperca chuatsi, the mandarin fish or Chinese perch (not to be confused with the mandarinfish), is species of temperate perch native to the Amur River basin and other rivers in China. Its back is yellow, green, or brown, with many irregular black spots and patches. It has a big mouth and small round scales. This species can reach 70 cm (28 in) TL, and the greatest recorded weight for this species is 8 kg (18 lb). It is an inhabitant of rivers, some of which can become quite turbid in the rainy season. It is a specialized feeder on other fishes, particularly those which see poorly in low light. This species is a commercially important species and is also farmed.

The mandarin fish is very popular as food in China. Its name (鳜鱼) appears in many Chinese poems and books. The Koreans organize fishing festivals in the end of April in Danyang City with the aim of catching large specimens of S. scherzeri, which is a close relative of S. chuatsi.