Aphredoderus sayanus
pirate perch

Aphredoderus sayanus is found only in North America and is believed to have occupied the Mississippi Valley before the ancestors of most modern-day fishes had migrated into the region (Pflieger, 1975). Today pirate perch are found throughout the lowlands and surrounding areas of the southeastern Ozarks, in lakes and pools east of the Mississippi River and as far south as eastern Texas. (Pflieger, 1975)

Pirate perch are found in clear warm water with low currents; these include bottomland lakes, overflow ponds and the quiet pools and backwaters of low-gradient streams (Pflieger, 1975). Within these areas pirate perch tend to congregate where there is dense vegetation, woody debris, root masses and undercut banks (Monzyk et al., 1997). (Monzyk, Kelso, and Rutherford, 1997; Pflieger, 1975)

Pirate perch are unusual in that their urogenital opening is positioned far anteriorally under the throat (Fletcher, et. Al. 2004). This feature is not present in juveniles, as the anus migrates with maturity. Pirate perch are grayish with black speckles and have a narrow, vertical, dark bar at the base of the tail fin and under the eye (Pflieger, 1975). Pirate perch have a single dorsal fin and ctenoid scales on the head and body. The tail fin is slightly notched, not deeply forked. The gill cover has a sharp spine. Dorsal and anal fins each have 2 or 3 weak spines at front (Pflieger, 1975). The mouth is moderately large with a slightly projecting lower jaw (Clay, 1962). The lateral line is incomplete or underdeveloped in pirate perch from the Midwest, but specimens closer to the Atlantic coast show a much better developed lateral line (Eddy, 1969). Pirate perch are sexually dimorphic with females being larger and more full-bodied than males (Tiemann, 2004). (Clay, 1962; Eddy, 1969; Fletcher et al., 2004; Pflieger, 1975; Tiemann, 2004)

Larval pirate perch look very similar to adults, except in the placement of the anus. Prolarvae and early postlarvae have 12-15 preanal and 13-196 postanal myomeres (Hogue, 1976). Once these fish reach 13 mm, the number of preanal myomeres will decrese as the anus begins migration toward the gular region (Hogue, 1976). (Hogue, 1976)

Maximum longevity in the wild is 4 years (Pflieger, 1975). (Pflieger, 1975)

Pirate perch are solitary fish (Fletcher et al., 2004). They are carnivorous, feeding mostly at night (Clay, 1962). Indeed, pirate perch got their name from C.C. Abbott, who observed that these fish eat all other suitably sized fish when confined in an aquarium (Forbes and Richardson, 1920). Pirate perch appear to have a life history strategy similar to those of sunfishes, moving into the limnetic zone immediately after hatching and remaining there for several weeks before returning to the littoral zone (Fontenot and Rutherford, 1999). (Clay, 1962; Fletcher et al., 2004; Fontenot and Rutherford, 1999; Forbes and Richardson, 1920)

In addition to the lateral line sensory system present in most fishes, an extensive array of sensory pores on the head of A. sayanus may enable these nocturnal fishes to navigate in the dark (Fletcher et al., 2004). There is little known about communication in this species. (Fletcher et al., 2004)

This carnivorous fish eats primarily immature aquatic insects, small crustaceans and sometimes small fish (Pflieger, 1975). (Pflieger, 1975)

In the root masses that the pirate perch use for spawning, adult and juvenile salamanders, as well as eastern dobsonfly larvae (Corydalus cornutus), have been found. It is unclear whether these animals are predators of the eggs or not (Fletcher, et al 2004). Adult pirate perch may be eaten by larger fish, piscivorous birds, otters or mink. (Fletcher et al., 2004)

Pirate perch are solitary and secretive, hiding during the daylight hours in thick growths of aquatic plants or accumulations of organic debris. They are mainly active at night (Pflieger, 1975). Pirate perch impact the populations of their small, invertebrate prey. (Clay, 1962; Pflieger, 1975)

There are no known negative impacts of pirate perch on humans.

Pirate perch are not widely used as food or recognized as game fish.

Pirate perch are not generally common because they occupy relatively uncommon habitats. Within those habitats however they are abundant. In one study in Arkansas pirate perch were the most common species found in their sampling, representing 21% of 8,113 fish taken (Killgore and Baker, 1996). In Ohio pirate perch are considered endangered. Development has significantly impacted the habitats of pirate perch because the bottomland lakes and ponds they occupy have been extensively destroyed by dredging, ditch construction, draining and siltation (Trautman, 1957). (Killgore and Baker, 1996; Ohio Division of Wildlife, 2000; Trautman, 1957)