The Macquarie Perch are an elongated, oval shaped fish. They are distinguished by:
Macquarie Perch from coastal catchments are blotched with grey-brown, buff and dark grey patches over the head and body.
Macquarie Perch from the Murray-Darling Basin are larger, growing up to 46 cm and 3.5 kg. Macquarie Perch from coastal catchments are distinctly smaller, usually less than 18 cm in length
Macquarie Perch are found in the Murray-Darling Basin (particularly upstream reaches) of the Lachlan, Murrumbidgee and Murray rivers, and parts of south-eastern coastal NSW, including the Hawkesbury/Nepean and Shoalhaven catchments.
Macquarie Perch occur in waters with lots of cover such as aquatic vegetation, snags, boulders and overhanging banks.