Halfmoon/Blue Perch

It has a dark spot over the gill that may serve as a ‘fake eye’ to distract or confuse predators

Taxonomic description

• Tail fin shape looks like a crescent moon, hence its name. ^[13]
• Oval body and typically dark blue in color ^[9], dark spot just above gill opening ^[14], looks similar to opaleye. ^[1]
• Matures at around 20-34 cm (8-13 in.), but can reach up to 50 cm (~20 in.). ^[2]
• Scales are small, thick and rough. ^[14]

Distribution

• Ranges from Gulf of California to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. ^[9]

Life history

• Typically lives from 1-8 years. ^[14]
• Sexually mature at about 2 years old, internal fertilization, spawns eggs during July to October. ^[14]
• Fertilized eggs and hatched larvae float in the water column as plankton. ^[14]
• Juveniles typically school together and are sometimes found mixed with pile perch schools of 15-50 members. ^{[14, 6]}

Habitat

• Typically inhabits shallow rocky areas, kelp beds and floating kelp paddies. ^[9]
• Common predators include sea lions, larger fish, and, specifically at the Santa Catalina Island, bald eagles. ^[14]
• Susceptible to disturbances that influence its kelp forest home, like habitat degradation and pollution. ^[4]

This fish will attach to anything it thinks is food, even if the item doesn’t remotely look like food. 

Seasonal availability

• Available from August to April. ^[19]

Regulatory and managing authority

• As it is sometimes caught as bycatch by fisheries targeting other species, this species is not included in any specific fishery management plan, but still falls under the jurisdiction of CDFW and CFGC as per the Marine Life Management Act. ^[8]

Gear type

• Mostly hook and line, with some incidental catch in traps and round haul nets. ^[8]
• For bait and tackle, this fish prefers mussels or small crabs. ^[7]

Status of the fishery

• There are no regulations specific to this species; before 1976, catch of this species was grouped into the category of ‘surf perch,’  a more popular species, but now catch is reported separately. ^[8]
• Despite dips and peaks since 1970, there was overall decline in amount of halfmoon perch caught per year, with 0 pounds reported 1996-2002 ^[12] due to poor documentation, and perch species were often unspecified. ^[8]
• The IUCN Red List classifies halfmoon perch as “least concern” throughout its range. ^[5]
• The recreational fishery is larger than the commercial fishery for this species. ^[20]

Potential ecosystem impacts

• According to a Productivity Susceptibility Analysis, this species has a low risk of being impacted by fishing activities. ^[10]
• No significant ecosystem impacts known.

As an easy-to-cook fish and a healthy alternative protein source, perch tastes great baked.

Edible portions

• Can be eaten whole, scaled, and/or gutted. ^[18]

Description of meat

• Has light, white, mild flavored meat, similar to surfperch. ^{[12, 7]}

Culinary uses

• Available fresh and whole. ^[18]
• Often baked, grilled, breaded and fried, or sautéed. ^[16]
• For preparation instructions, visit Livestrong. ^[3]
• For recipe ideas, visit Food.com. ^[18]

Nutritional information

• One perch fillet is measured in the nutritional facts label. ^[17]
• It is rich in healthy levels of omega-3 fats and Vitamin B12. ^[17]

Toxicity report

• No toxins or dietary warnings. ^[6]

Seasonal availability

• Seasonal from August to April. ^[19]