Ocean perch is closely related to the Pacific rockfish. Once commonly known as redfish, the name was changed in America by fish marketers in the 1930s.

Perch are slow growing, slow moving, schooling fish that are easily caught. Ocean perch are different from other fish because they bear their young live.

Ocean perch primarily live in deeper waters from 82 to 2,700 feet deep. In the summer, adults inhabit shallower depths, between 490 and 980 feet. In the fall, the fish tend to migrate farther offshore from 980 to 1,400 feet. They reside in these deeper waters until about May, when they return to the shallower summer waters.

Adults are associated with both sandy and rocky habitats, as well as habitats that include structure-forming invertebrates, such as corals.

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Cooking & Handling

Store fresh ocean perch refrigerated no more than 2 days after purchase. Frozen, they keep 4 to 6 months.

Ocean perch is low in saturated fat and very high in selenium, phosphorus, and vitamin B12.

Though the skin is edible, because of the fish’s high oil content, shelf life is diminished if the skin is left on.

Flavors that work well with ocean perch are avocado, basil, butter, chives, cilantro, dill, garlic, ginger, lemon, mushroom, onions, orange, rice wine, scallion, shallot, sesame, soy sauce, tarragon and tomato.

Cooking Methods
Bake, Fry, Poach, Sauté, Steam

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Global Supply

canada	denmark	greenland
iceland	United States

Seasonal Availability
Fresh and frozen available year-round.

Fresh-caught fish are immediately iced on board and are occasionally available, but the majority of the catch is processed into frozen, skin-on fillets for sale, defrosted, in American supermarkets.