Oxygen consumption (OC) and ammonia excretion rates (AE) of perch were measured under commercial-like conditions (temperature 23.3 °C) in both fed (F) and feed-deprived groups (D). Measurements were taken in triplicate in six sized batches of perch ranging from 44.8 to 336.2 g. The mean daily OC was 288.3–180.6 mg O2 kg−1 h−1 for group F fish ranging in size from 44.8 to 279.4 g body weight. The mean daily AE expressed as total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) was 13.8–5.2 mg TAN kg−1 h−1 in the same groups. Daily peaks of OC in group F perch were observed 6 h after the onset of feeding for each size group with relatively stable values up to the end of feeding. Peaks of daily AE in group F perch were observed 10 h after the onset of feeding in each size group, with a rapid decrease up to 16 h after onset. In group D, OC was 181.1–110.5 mg O2 kg−1 h−1 in the weight range 57.9–336.2 g. The daily mean AE was 1.7–0.5 TAN kg−1 h−1 in this group. No dramatic peaks of OC and AE were observed in group D perch.