The tule perch (Hysterocarpus traskii) is a surfperch (Embiotocidae) native to the rivers and estuaries of central California.

The tule perch is small, at most 15 centimetres (5.9 in) in length, and deep-bodied, with a defined hump between the head and the dorsal fin.

The dorsal fin has a noticeable ridge of scales running along its base, and consists of 15-19 spines followed by 9-15 soft rays.

They are fish of the lowlands, inhabiting lakes, sloughs, streams, and rivers, generally in areas with beds of vegetation or overhangs.

Three subspecies have been described:[2] The formal description of the tule perch was first read by W. P. Gibbons at a meeting of the California Academy of Natural Sciences on May 15, 1854, and then published in the San Francisco newspaper The Daily Placer Times and Transcript on May 18, making it a rare case of a new species being published in a newspaper rather than book or scientific journal.