Species of this fish?

[splatchamp]

Just over 2 feet long, only between 10 and 15 sharp teeth. Any help is appreciated!

Edited June 21, 2021 by splatchamp

[Lone Hunter]

Maybe a Walleye?

[Paleorunner]

Hello, splatchamp.

I think you are in the wrong forum. It is a forum about fossils, not current animals. I don't know if someone will be able to help you.

Just now, Paleorunner said:

Hello, splatchamp.

I think you are in the wrong forum. It is a forum about fossils, not current animals. I don't know if someone will be able to help you.

I shut up, you were lucky.

[jpc]

yeah,wrong forum, but our collective knowledge spreads way beyond old dead things.

[digit]

Yup. We specialize in older dead things but this does indeed appear to be a Walleye.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walleye

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[minnbuckeye]

10 hours ago, digit said:

does indeed appear to be a Walleye.

 

Walleyes have a very pronounced white spot on the bottom of the tail and a black spot at the caudal end of the dorsal fin. Saugers are close relatives that lack these features and are spotted (as seen on the tail). The two species do interbreed forming a "Saugeye". My guess is this is a POORLY painted walleye. But if painted properly, it could represent a sauger or saugeye.

[digit]

See. Our expertise beyond mere fossils runs deep on this forum. I'm better at marine fish species.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Thomas.Dodson]

On 6/22/2021 at 6:44 AM, minnbuckeye said:

Walleyes have a very pronounced white spot on the bottom of the tail and a black spot at the caudal end of the dorsal fin. Saugers are close relatives that lack these features and are spotted (as seen on the tail). The two species do interbreed forming a "Saugeye". My guess is this is a POORLY painted walleye. But if painted properly, it could represent a sauger or saugeye.

To be clear, both Sauger and Walleye can have spotting on the caudal fin. The fin that differs reliably is dorsal fin #1 which is spotted in sauger and has the large black spot at the caudal end in walleye.

 

Saugers have large ventral blotches or diagonal bands as opposed to walleye which, when banding is visible, have vertical banding. This feature persists in saugeye and is usually accompanied by a white tipped caudal fin like in walleye.

Another thing to note is that 2 feet is a really large sauger. They rarely get that large (although do sometimes).

 

This one is a walleye.

[minnbuckeye]

@Thomas.Dodson, purely for some fun "argument", I found this guide from Manatoba: 

 

0 APRIL 20205 min read

Walleye vs Sauger: Can you tell the difference?

A common question we get from new anglers is “Is this a walleye or a sauger?” Although obvious on many occasions, Mother Nature has been known to throw a few tricks into the identification process. Depending on the waterbody, walleye and sauger often have many similar characteristics and the tell-tail differences between the two aren’t always super defined.

 

      I fish for walleye and sauger  12 months of the year on the Mississippi. Many 20+ inch sauger/saugeye are boated each year. From my experience, walleyes are pretty stable in appearance when found in different environments. The sauger's look on the other hand varies tremendously based on season, depth and structure it came off of. Sometimes mimicking a walleye closely. Sometimes looking so different, there is no mistaking it. 

     The mounted fish in question is painted through the eyes of the taxidermist, some of which should find another occupation. If this were a trilobite, members would say it is completely painted, not real, don't purchase. But a skin of a fish has little color and pattern to it when applied to a foam body. It is up to the "artist" to create a believable specimen. This taxidermist did a poor job, be it sauger or walleye. 

    But my final comment that makes me lean towards sauger/saugeye is .........Who in their right mind would pay a taxidermist to mount a 24 inch walleye?????????? A sauger yes. Another thought, maybe it is a Zander! What do you think @Ludwigia?

 Now remember, I am replying with tongue in cheek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 Mike

[Thomas.Dodson]

1 hour ago, minnbuckeye said:

@Thomas.Dodson, purely for some fun "argument", I found this guide from Manatoba: 

 

0 APRIL 20205 min read

Walleye vs Sauger: Can you tell the difference?

A common question we get from new anglers is “Is this a walleye or a sauger?” Although obvious on many occasions, Mother Nature has been known to throw a few tricks into the identification process. Depending on the waterbody, walleye and sauger often have many similar characteristics and the tell-tail differences between the two aren’t always super defined.

 

      I fish for walleye and sauger  12 months of the year on the Mississippi. Many 20+ inch sauger/saugeye are boated each year. From my experience, walleyes are pretty stable in appearance when found in different environments. The sauger's look on the other hand varies tremendously based on season, depth and structure it came off of. Sometimes mimicking a walleye closely. Sometimes looking so different, there is no mistaking it. 

     The mounted fish in question is painted through the eyes of the taxidermist, some of which should find another occupation. If this were a trilobite, members would say it is completely painted, not real, don't purchase. But a skin of a fish has little color and pattern to it when applied to a foam body. It is up to the "artist" to create a believable specimen. This taxidermist did a poor job, be it sauger or walleye. 

    But my final comment that makes me lean towards sauger/saugeye is .........Who in their right mind would pay a taxidermist to mount a 24 inch walleye?????????? A sauger yes. Another thought, maybe it is a Zander! What do you think @Ludwigia?

 Now remember, I am replying with tongue in cheek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 Mike

 

I certainly don't disagree it's a bad taxidermy. And indeed, like most fish, sauger change tone and pattern based on turbidity, depth, light levels, and periods of stress like spawn. The thought of it being weird for someone paying to mount a 24 in walleye crossed my mind but I've seen it done. The flip side of that argument is that most people care little for sauger over walleye or don't target them at all. I feel most would never mount a sauger.

 

There are other diagnostic characters you can delve into to differentiate between the two. If you assume this is a live mount that uses the fins and scales you can rule out sauger on these characteristics from the photo. The fin patterning ignored the cheek also looks naked; a characteristic of walleye. Sauger have scaled cheeks. Furthermore, the soft dorsal fin (posterior one) has too many rays to be sauger. I count 22: Sauger only have 17-20. Walleye usually have 19-22.

 

I don't have much experience with zander since they aren't native to NA but the continental record actually comes from a lake just NE of where I live. I think zander have scaled cheeks as well.

 

 

 

[minnbuckeye]

You WIN!!!!!!

[Ludwigia]

8 hours ago, minnbuckeye said:

What do you think @Ludwigia?

 

I'm afraid that I'm a far cry from being one who can distinguish one fish from the other. My only experience with fishing was catching sunfish as a youth from the dock at the Rideau river and throwing them back again. On the other hand, I am extremely versed at eating Zander in lemon sauce, since they are native to the Lake of Constance, but they are usually completely undressed by the time they make it to my plate, so I don't really know what they look like when they are fully clothed.