Definition

Noun: * A taxonomic family of fish: "Family Percidae" is the scientific name for a specific family of ray-finned fish within the order Perciformes. This family is characterized by being active freshwater fishes and includes true perches and pike perches.

Usage Notes

• "Family Percidae" is a formal, scientific term used primarily in biology, ichthyology (the study of fish), and taxonomy (the science of classification). It is not used in everyday conversation.
• In scientific writing, the family name is often italicized (). When used in a general sense, it is not italicized.

Examples

• Scientific Context:
  • The yellow perch is a common member of the family Percidae.
  • Biologists studied the evolutionary history of family Percidae.
  • This river system is home to several species from family Percidae, including walleye and sauger.

Advanced Usage

• Taxonomic Hierarchy: The term is used to specify a rank in biological classification (Kingdom > Phylum > Class > Order > Family > Genus > Species). For example, the walleye () belongs to the genus within the family Percidae.

Variants and Related Words

• Percid (noun/adjective): A common name for any fish belonging to the family Percidae. Can also be used as an adjective (e.g., percid fishes).
  • The darter is a small percid.
• Perch (noun): A common name for many fish in this family, especially those in the genus .
• Pikeperch or Pike-perch (noun): A common name for fish in the genera or within this family, such as the zander or walleye.

Synonyms

• Perch family: A less formal way to refer to this taxonomic group.
  • The perch family includes many popular game fish.

Different Meanings

• The word "family" alone has many general meanings (e.g., a group of related people, a group of related things). In the term "family Percidae," it has only the specific scientific meaning of a taxonomic rank.

Noun

1. active freshwater fishes; true perches and pike perches