The zander is the largest member of the Percidae and it has a long, muscular body which bears some resemblance to a Northern pike (Esox lucius), hence the alternative English common name of pikeperch. Its upper part of the body is green-brown in colour and this extends onto the sides as dark vertical bars, in a pattern not dissimilar to that of the European perch (Perca fluviatilis) while the lower part of the body is creamy-white. The caudal fin is dark and the pectoral, pelvic and anal fins are paler off-white in colour.[6] The dorsal and caudal fins are marked with rows of black spots on the membranes between the spines and rays, these are largest and most obvious on the first dorsal fin.[7] The juveniles are silvery in colour, becoming darker as the age.