Sauger
Duane Raver/USFWS
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Oklahoma Distribution – Found in the Poteau, Illinois, Red and Neosho rivers in Oklahoma and in several lakes and reservoirs around the state.
Habitat – Sauger are primarily a river and stream fish preferring the clear eastern river. It is not abundant anywhere and seems to be rare in the tailwaters below Lake Texoma.
Natural Food Sources – The eyes of this species give off an eerie glow due to the tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer on the retina, This adaptation is for feeding at night in low light levels. Adults feed largely on fish, the young mainly taking invertebrates and small fish.
Spawning – The sauger is a spring spawner but little is known about its biology in Oklahoma. Spawning occurs at night and is completed within two weeks, eggs are scattered over a firm substrate by females, with multiple males attending each female. No nest is constructed and no parental care is provided.
Facts – One of the two largest members of the family Percidae, the sauger is a streamlined predator with relatively high fins, moderately large eyes and a large mouth.