Distribution
Once very common throughout the warmer waters of the Murray-Darling, silver perch river numbers have dropped alarmingly in recent years. No re-stocking program has yet been mooted for the river populations and this has been blamed on lack of demand from the "client group", ie anglers. This is hardly surprising, since the majority of silver perch anglers fish impoundments, where they are plentiful.
Bred extensively in the commercial sector and a popular warm water aquaculture and farm dam species, silver perch are stocked heavily in impoundments, especially in New South Wales and Queensland where it has gained a popular reputation for "disappearing" after a few years. However, this is believed to be due primarily to the change of diet experienced by larger silver perch. Despite their reputation, silvers are caught in large numbers by bank anglers using bait, in many of these impoundments.

Diet
Shrimps, Yabbies and aquatic insects, believed to change to a mainly vegetarian diet in larger fish.

On the table
Smaller fish (less than about 1.5 Kg) are good eating. Larger fish are better if skinned and can have a "weedy" taste.