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| Lake whitefish | |
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| Species: | C. clupeaformis
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| Binomial name | |
| Coregonus clupeaformis (Mitchill, 1818)
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The lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), also called the Sault whitefish or gizzard fish, is a species of freshwater whitefish from North America.[1] """"""""""""The genus Coregonus (co-regg'-on-us) means "angle eye" in Greek and the species clupeaformis means "Herring Shaped" in Latin."""""""""""""" Lake whitefish are found throughout much of Canada and parts of the northern United States, including all of the Great Lakes. The Lake Whitefish is sometimes referred to as a "humpback" fish due to the small size of the head in relation to the length of the body [2]. A valuable commercial fish, they are also occasionally taken by sport fishermen. Smoked, refrigerated, vacuum-packed lake whitefish fillets are now commonly available in North American grocery stores.
Identification[edit]
Color[edit]
Their coloration is """"""""""typically silver to white with an olive to pale-green or brown dorsal hues. The ventral fins are white and the tail has a dark posterior edge[2]. """"""""""
Morphological Features[edit]
""""""""""Lake Whitefish are very similar in appearance to the Cisco (Corgenous artedi) and the Mooneye (Hiodon tergisus).[3] Lake Whitefish are discernible from the Cisco due to the lower jaw and snout positions. The Cisco has a short snout with a lower jaw that extends beyond the snout. The Lake Whitefish has a snout which overhangs the short lower jaw (in a subterminal position). The mouth of the Lake Whitefish opens in an inferior position so it can feed on the bottom of lake beds. Both the Cisco and Lake Whitefish are discernible from the Mooneye due to the small posterior dorsal adipose fin.[4] The eyes of the Cisco and Lake Whitefish are what identify them as member of the Trout/Salmon family (Salmonidae)[3]. Another notable feature of the Lake Whitefish is the presence of two small flaps in each nostril.[5]
Characteristics[edit]
Lake Whitefish from inland lakes can reach a weight upwards of 5 pounds (the largest Lake Whitefish was caught in Leech Lake and weighed in at over 12 pounds).[6] On average, the Lake Whitefish weighs only 4 pounds. The Lake Whitefish can grow to 31 in. (80 cm) but they commonly reach 20 in. (51 cm).[5]
Life History[edit]
Habitat[edit]
Lake Whitefish are cool water fish and are found in a large number of inland lakes in Minnesota and they have been known to enter brackish waters. Lakes in Minnesota where the fish is commonly found include Leech Lake, Lake Vermilion, Cass Lake, Burntside Lake, Snow Bank Lake, Red Lake, Ten Mile Lake, and Ball Club. The Lake Whitefish is distributed from Alaska and western Canada to the Atlantic coastal drainage of Maine and in New Brunswick north to Labrador.[5]
Reproduction and Spawning[edit]
"""""""""" Lake whitefish spawn from September through January in water two to four metres in depth """"""""""during the night. In the autumn, mature Lake Whitefish enter the shallows to lay their eggs on shoals of rubble and gravel. There is no parental care of the young. In the following spring the young will hatch.[5] """""""""" In northwestern Canada, a large spawning migration enters the Athabasca Delta in late summer, moving upstream in the Athabasca River. The longest single movement of a tagged whitefish ever recorded was 388 km (241 mi), from Fort McMurray to the north shore of Lake Athabasca in Alberta, Canada.
Diet[edit]
Larval and postlarval stages feed on plankton. Once the newly hatched larvae reach 3-4 in (8-10 cm) they switch to feeding on bottom-dwelling animals (snail, insect larvae, and fingernail clam) which they will consume for the remainder of their lives.[6] In late June and July, some inland lake populations of Ciscos and Lake Whitefish leave the deep, cool waters to feast on emerging mayflies and midges.[5] The Lake Whitefish's natural predators include Burbot, Lake Trout, and Northern Pike.
Fishing[edit]
Many amateur anglers enjoy hooking this fish in the months of June, July, and early August. A simple line and jig system is enough to catch the fish as they feast on mayflies and midges. Commercial fishing has allowed for the spread of this fish into many different markets, restaurants, and grocery store shelves.[5] The lake whitefish is considered Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. However, the distinct stock called Lake Simcoe Whitefish is considered a threatened species in Canada.[7]
Additional Notes[edit]
Since the end of the last glaciation (about 12000 years ago), whitefish have been able to re-colonize many North American lakes. As they invaded those environments, they have also diversified into different populations, such that they are now two main ecotypes recognized within the species: a normal and a dwarf ecotype. These normal and dwarf ecotypes are mainly differentiated by the benthic and pelagic zone they occupy, respectively. Normal whitefish also grow much bigger and live much longer than the dwarf ecotype.
Many of these populations live in sympatry, yet are reproductively isolated. The fact that they are young species makes them prime candidate to study the evolutionary forces driving their ecological divergence and reproductive isolation.
References[edit]
- ^ Wisconsin Sea Grant. 18 April. 2011
- ^ a b MN DNR Species Profile. 19 April. 2012
- ^ a b Lake Whitefish Identification. 19 April. 2012
- ^ <Michigan Department of Natural Recources. 19 April. 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Phillips, Gary (1982). Fishes of the Minnesota Region. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-0982-9.
- ^ a b Page, Lawrence (1991). Freshwater Fishes. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-359-91091-9.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ Endangered 12 Aug. 2007
- "Coregonus clupeaformis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 18 April 2006.
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2006). "Coregonus clupeaformis" in FishBase. January 2006 version.
External links[edit]
- Lake Whitefish, Government of Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
- Lake Whitefish, Government of Alberta
- Lake Whitefish, Minnesota, Dept. of Natural Resources
- Great Lakes Whitefish, Michigan Sea Grant at Michigan State University
Category:Coregonus Category:Arctic freshwater fish Category:Fish of the United States Category:Fish of the Great Lakes Category:Animals described in 1818