Bigscale Logperch

The bigscale logperch (Percina macrolepida) is native to freshwater ecosystems and can be found from northeastern Mexico to Oklahoma and western Louisiana to New Mexico. Outside of native states, there are introduced populations in California, Arizona, Colorado, and Arkansas. Bigscale logperch have long, slender bodies that reach up to 4.2 inches long with an amber yellow coloring, dark vertical markings much like tiger stripes, and a dark spot at the base of the caudal fin. They were introduced to California unintentionally in the 1950s during largemouth bass and bluegill stocking efforts of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Now, the species has self-sustaining populations in California’s San Joaquin, Yuba, Sacramento, and Feather River drainages. Their diets consist predominantly of invertebrates captured in benthic habitats, and they spawn early spring to mid-summer.

Fun Fact: The species has a characteristic row of large spiny scales that line their bellies, standing out from surrounding scales and providing the name for the species.