ambigua, represent the lowland species, while the closely related Macquarie perch, M. The Macquaria perches, of which golden perch are one, continue the trend present in Murray–Darling native fish genera of diversification into more generalist lowland species and more specialist upland species. In the Murray–Darling system golden perch are often found in sympatry with Murray cod. Golden perch are native primarily to lowland reaches of the Murray– Darling River system, but also extend far into slope habitats and occasionally even lower upland reaches. (This error was corrected, presumably by Richardson himself, in at least one reprint of the publication in question.) Golden perch are neither a khulid nor a terapontid, and Richardson also erroneously stated the golden perch's habitat was " Western Australia", when in fact the species is not found in that state. This choice of specific name was unwittingly appropriate. The only two specimens I had the opportunity of examining are dried, and are both mutilated in the caudal fin, so that I am unable to describe the form of that member, and can give no anatomical details.” It agrees with the group of Dules that has two opercular points, in the number of dorsal rays, and in the presence of palatine teeth, but in general habit it is more like Datnia, strongly resembling it in the strength of its dorsal and anal spines, and in the number of rays in the anal. “I have had much doubt as to whether this fish should be placed in the genus Dules, or Datnia. The naturalist Richardson actually named golden perch Datnia ambigua and applied the specific name ambigua (Latin for "doubtful") to the species because, as he states in his species description, he could not decide in which of two genera to place it, Dules (now Kuhlia species) or Datnia (now various Terapontidae species): However, the genus name Macquaria was applied to golden perch much later. ![]() The genus name Macquaria derives from the Macquarie River, where the first species in the genus, the Macquarie perch ( M. Golden perch vary from in colour from pale silvery-gold (turbid waters) to deep yellow/gold or bronze-black (very clear waters).Ī wild golden perch from an upland river: Note the much leaner, slimmer shape of wild specimens and the intense golden colouration. The spiny dorsal fin is short to moderate in length and strong. ![]() The caudal fin, soft dorsal fin, and anal fin are rounded. The opercula or gill covers possess a small, flat spine sharp enough to cut unwary fishermen's fingers. Golden perch have an elongated, deep but laterally compressed body, with a sizable mouth, small to moderate-sized eyes, a distinct curve to the forehead, and a distinct "hump" above the head. A 24-kg fish caught from Kow Swamp, Victoria in the early 1900s, and labelled and sold as a "Murray perch", is often referred to as the largest recorded golden perch, but this record is doubtful - this record grossly exceeds all other size records for golden perch, and the specimen in question is far more likely to have been a Murray cod ( Maccullochella peelii), which grow to far larger sizes than golden perch. In rivers, has been recorded to 9 kg, in impoundments to 15 kg. Fish from rivers are smaller and somewhat streamlined - fish in man-made impoundments are much deeper-bodied and show much greater average and maximum sizes. Golden perch are medium-sized fish, commonly 30–40 cm and 1–2 kg in rivers. This relatively widespread and widely stocked species is an important angling sport fish in Australia. Golden perch are not a true perch, which belongs to the genus Perca from the family Percidae, but a member of the Percichthyidae ( temperate perch) family. Other common names for golden perch are " goldens", “ yellowbelly” and " callop", the last generally used only in South Australia. The golden perch ( Macquaria ambigua) is a medium-sized, yellow or gold-coloured species of Australian freshwater fish found primarily in the Murray-Darling River system, though a subspecies is found in the Lake Eyre- Cooper Creek system, and another subspecies, suspected to be ancestral to all other populations, is found in the Fitzroy River system in Queensland.
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