Stizostedion lucioperca is a fish of the perch family. Length up to 70 cm (occasionally up to 130 cm), weight 2-3 kg (sometimes up to 20 kg). Jaws with fangs between which are small teeth. Two dorsal fins separated by a gap. Widespread in rivers and lakes of the Black, Baltic, Azov and Caspian Sea basins. In Europe it is found east of the Elbe. Acclimatised in the Urals, Far East, Siberia and Central Asia. It is a semi-passive and freshwater fish. It leads a solitary life. It matures in 3-5 years. Spawns in May-June, swallows eggs on water plants, sand and rocks. Fecundity from 200,000 to 1 million eggs. Eggs are small (0.9-1.3 mm in diameter). The male guards the clutch. Young pikeperch feed on zooplankton, then benthos; adults feed on fish. Valuable commercial fish. Subject of acclimatisation and breeding in fish farms.

There are 5 species: common, bersh, sea - in European waters; Canadian and light-spotted - in the eastern part of North America. The most commercially important is the common (S. lucioperca); it is found in the basins of the Baltic, Black, Azov, Caspian and Aral Seas, and in the Maritsa River, which flows into the Aegean. Two biological forms can be distinguished: resident, or towed, and semi-navigable.