What Is the Difference Between Saugeye & Walleye Fish?

Walleye

• Walleye are members of the perch family and are a predatory breed with sharp teeth. Their bodies can be silver, gray or olive, with white patches on their undersides. The back of the walleye's first dorsal fin has a distinctive black spot at the bottom.These fish prefer to live in clear waters over firm ground. These habitats include reefs and gravel shoals. Humans have also stocked walleye in reservoirs. They are considered to be a sport fish that can grow up to 3 feet in length and weigh 16 lbs.

Sauger

• The sauger is a sport fish that also belongs to the perch family. The bodies of saugers are brown or bronze, with dark blotches on both sides. They have a thin yellowish line running along their undersides. The sauger's dorsal fins are mostly clear with several dark spots. These fish prefer shallow, murky rivers and lakes. Sauger are smaller than walleye and can grow to be 2 feet long and weigh 7 lbs.

Saugeye

• The saugeye are a cross between walleye and sauger. They have characteristics of both parent species. Saugeye dorsal fins have several black spots as well as a distinctive black patch at the back rear of the first dorsal fin. They have dark blotches along their bodies that are not as large as the sauger's, and they have white areas on their underside similar to those of the walleye. Their overall body color can be described as an intermediate between the walleye's silver scales and the sauger's bronze scales. The saugeye is a species of sport fish that can live in both calm and turbid water environments. They are most often found in lakes, rivers and reservoirs. The saugeye can grow up to 30 inches long and reach a weight of 14 lbs.

Producing Saugeye

• The saugeye are made by combining walleye eggs and sauger sperm. Humans artificially create saugeye to produce hardy, fast-growing fish that can adapt and survive in different environments. Sometimes saugeye are created by a walleye and sauger that meet and mate naturally. Most saugeye are sterile, but some are able to reproduce with members of their own species, walleye and sauger.