Minnesota Sunfish courtesy of a couple of my cousins way up in the cold land 
I recall a day when I would go fishing and never have a trouble telling what the fish I caught was. . . . . then I moved away from the state of 10,000 lakes and suddenly unbeknownst to myself and now thinking about it unbeknownst to the rest of this glorious country there are other fish out there than what is in the wonderous state of Minnesota 
I actually have become to feel a bit ignorant when it comes to the types of fish. The ones I grew up with were easy to spot. Sunfish, perch, crappie, walleye, northern pike, bass (small and large mouth). . . . who knew that there were different types of these fish in other places. The only one I can easily identify now are bass. . . . long lost are the days when I know I have a Sunny on the line with just a bit of a kernel of corn. Even the dang Sunnies dont look the same!!! who knew Sunfish could be anything other than their glorious selves.
Nowadays I have to literally sit by a computer googling different fish or quickly forwarding pictures to a local trying to figure out just what the heck my son or daughter is catching. . . . its most embaressing for a former Minnesotan who enjoyed many hours with a cane pole off of the shore in search of a pool of Sunnies or a lazy evening on the water with her pole cast out listening to the loons hoping for a bite.
This weekend my daughter reminded me why I always loved to fish, its rather silly after all but it is one of the great things about it. . . . . the peace and quiet of just watching and waiting. Knowing when you have been patient long enough that they do start to bite and oooh what a joy that patience is once you start to real them in Such a reward, joyous reward So here are a few of the differences I am discovering . . . can you see the differences, is this just me??? lol
white perch?? thinkiing so.. . . .
green sunfish
Although it has a larger mouth and more elongated body than the bluegill, the green sunfish has the blue tab on the gill cover and is often confused with the bluegill. Commonly referred to as perch, green sunfish are aggressive and easy to catch. However, they can easily overpopulate and become stunted in small waters. The Kansas record weighed 2 pounds, 6 ounces. The world record greenie is listed at 2 pounds, 7 ounces.
http://www.kdwpt.state.ks.us/index.php/news/Fishing/Fish-ID-Gallery/GREEN-SUNFISH
white perch
Minnesota Yellow Perch
The yellow perch is one of the most commonly caught fish in Minnesota. This smaller cousin of the walleye is good to eat and eagerly bites worms, but it often is so small that anglers throw them back into the water. Like sunfish and bluegills, perch are considered “panfish,” or fish commonly caught to be cooked in a frying pan and eaten.
Identification
General description: A small fish that is usually yellow on the sides with wide dark bands coming down the sides from its back.
Length: Average length is about 6 inches but some reach a foot or more.
Weight: Average about 1/3 pound.
Color: Yellow with dark bars.
Reproduction
Yellow perch spawn in early May in southern Minnesota and in mid-May in northern lakes.The eggs hatch after two or three weeks. The newborns (fry) eat plankton and water fleas and are eaten by many newly hatched predator fish such as walleyes and burbot.
Food
Perch eat minnows and the young of other small fish. They also eat insects such as mayflies.
Predators
Many larger predatory fish will eat perch.
Habitat and range
Lakes, slow-moving rivers, reservoirs, and ponds. The perch is found in these types of waters throughout Minnesota.
Population and management
Minnesota is loaded with perch. But on many lakes, the average size of perch is decreasing because of overfishing. In the past, there was no limit on the number of perch you could catch and keep. But in recent years the limit has been lowered. The DNR hopes to increase the average size of perch by decreasing the number of perch killed by anglers.
Fun facts
Basically a miniature walleye, the perch is a great food fish. The fish is especially popular with out-of-state anglers such as those from North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, where perch are a highly desirable fish.
