Which family classification places S. vitreus directly with the sauger (S. canadensis)?
Answer
Family Percidae
The classification at the family level, Percidae, is crucial because it groups the walleye directly with other members of the perch family. This family includes the sauger (*Sander canadensis*) and various true perch species belonging to the genus *Perca*. Sharing the Family Percidae signifies a close evolutionary relationship, which is evident in the natural occurrence of hybridization between the walleye and the sauger, resulting in the fertile offspring known cross called the saugeye. This close kinship within Percidae is ecologically significant for understanding regional fish communities.

Related Questions
What does the specific epithet vitreus in Sander vitreus reference?Which family classification places S. vitreus directly with the sauger (S. canadensis)?What defining skeletal characteristic separates the Class Actinopterygii from lobe-finned fishes?What is the global conservation status assessment (G5) assigned to Sander vitreus by NatureServe?Which species hybridizes with S. vitreus to produce the fertile cross known as "saugeye"?What physical feature is a primary characteristic of the genus Sander besides the elongated body?Before the acceptance of the genus Sander, what scientific name was often used for the walleye?What temperature range defines the preferred habitat classification for walleye as coolwater fish?Membership in the Phylum Chordata signifies that S. vitreus possesses which developmental structures?How are the two separate dorsal fins of Sander vitreus characterized morphologically?