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Troutperch have both spiny-rayed and adipose dorsal fins, rough, weakly ctenoid scales, and toothed jaws. The pelvic spine is embedded. They are pale, spotted fishes particularly characteristic of the shoal waters of the Great Lakes and a few of the larger inland lakes and streams of the area. Troutperch are nocturnal. They spawn in the spring, using tributary streams and lake shallows. They forage for predacious fishes and seldom exceed 15 cm in length. There are two living species in the family, one in the Great Lakes and eastern NA and the other, Columbia transmontana, in the Columbia River system. They are noteworthy because they display a unique combination of characters of soft-rayed and spiny-rayed fishes.
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