The perch is a popular game fish for recreational anglers, and has been widely introduced beyond its native Eurasian habitats into Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Known locally simply as "redfin", they have caused substantial damage to native fish populations in Australia and have been proclaimed a noxious species in New South Wales.

They can live for up to 22 years, and older perch are often much larger than average; the maximum recorded length is 60 cm (24 in).

[9] In January 2010 a perch with a weight of 3.75 kg (8 lb 4 oz) was caught in the river Meuse, Netherlands.

The range of the European perch covers fresh water basins all over Europe, excluding the Iberian Peninsula.

[11][2] Males reach spawning areas ahead of females, and court mates by chasing through underwater vegetation.

[2] There has been speculation, but only anecdotal evidence, that eggs stick to the legs of wading birds and are then transferred to other waters.

[15] Juvenile perch are commonly infected by Camallanus lacustris (Nematoda), Proteocephalus percae, Bothriocephalus claviceps, Glanitaenia osculata, Triaenophorus nodulosus (all Cestoda) and Acanthocephalus lucii (Acanthocephala).

[16] The European perch is a frequent prey of many fish-eating predators such as the Western osprey (Pandion haliaetus),[17] great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)[18][19] and common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis),[20][21] and it is an important item in the diet of the globally threatened Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus).

[11] Baits for perch include baitfishes (e.g. minnows, goldfish), weather loaches, pieces of raw squid or pieces of raw fish (mackerel, bluey, jack mackerel, sardine), or brandling, red, marsh, and lob worms, maggots, shrimp (Caridina, Neocaridina, Palaemon, Macrobrachium) and peeled crayfish tails.

[26] It is also pictured in emblems of several European towns and municipalities, such as Bad Buchau, Gröningen and Schönberg, Plön.