Lake whitefish
Lake whitefish | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Salmoniformes |
Family: | Salmonidae |
Genus: | Coregonus |
Species: | C. clupeaformis
|
Binomial name | |
Coregonus clupeaformis (
Mitchill , 1818) | |
Range of C. clupeaformis | |
Synonyms[2] | |
List
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The lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) is a species of freshwater whitefish from North America. 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.[3][a] It is a valuable commercial fish, and also occasionally taken by sport fishermen. Smoked, refrigerated, vacuum-packed lake whitefish fillets are available in North American grocery stores. Other vernacular names used for this fish include Otsego bass, Sault whitefish, gizzard fish, common whitefish, eastern whitefish, Great Lakes whitefish, humpback whitefish, inland whitefish and whitefish.[4]
Etymology
The scientific genus name Coregonus (co-regg'-on-us) means "angle eye" in Greek and the species name clupeaformis means "herring-shaped" in Latin.[3]
Description
Lake whitefish are similar in appearance to other whitefishes in the
Lake whitefish from inland lakes can reach a weight upwards of 5 pounds (2,300 g); the largest Lake Whitefish caught on rod and reel weighted 15 pounds 6 oz, from Clear Lake Ontario Canada on May 21, 1983, by Chris T. D. Webster according to the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, in Hayward Wisconsin.[9][failed verification] On average, the lake whitefish weighs only 4 pounds. They can grow to 31 inches (79 cm) and commonly reach 20 inches (51 cm).[8]
Life history
Habitat
Lake whitefish are cool water fish. They are found in a large number of inland lakes, and they have been known to enter brackish waters. The lake whitefish is distributed from Alaska and western Canada to the Atlantic coastal drainage of Maine and in New Brunswick north to Labrador.[8]
Reproduction
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.
Diet
Fish of
.Fishing
Commercial fishing
Lake whitefish is one of the most important species for commercial inland fisheries in North America. The total annual catch in 1999 from Canada was 8 328 t and USA 5 353 t reported by the
Lake whitefish is the prime commercial species of the upper Great Lakes fishery, because this delicately flavored fresh fish has high local consumer acceptance. An average of 11 million pounds was harvested from the Great Lakes annually from 1981 to 1999. Although the harvest has declined from 9.5 to 8 million pounds in recent years, prices have not increased. Instead, the price for Great Lakes lake whitefish, which once reached as high as $1.04/lb., currently averages $.75/lb. and has dropped to as low as $.40/lb during periods of high production.
Sports fishing
Many amateur anglers also 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. In winter months, catching whitefish through the ice is very popular, particularly in northern Wisconsin, with many fishing guides specializing in this species. Successful icefishing techniques include using a jigging spoon, with at least one "slider hook" above and separated from the spoon with a barrel swivel, and all hooks tipped with wax worms. Commercial fishing has allowed for the spread of this fish into many different markets, restaurants, and grocery store shelves.[8]
Conservation
A major threat to the lake whitefish is an
Evolution
Since the end of the
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.
Notes
- Coregonus pidschian, the humpback whitefish.
References
- ^ NatureServe (7 April 2023). "Coregonus clupeaformis". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ "Coregonus clupeaformis (Mitchill, 1818)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ a b c Roland Sigurdson (2011) Lake whitefish Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Species Profile. 19 April. 2012
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Coregonus clupeaformis" in FishBase. May 2012 version.
- ^ Lake Whitefish Identification. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 19 April 2012
- ^ Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 19 April. 2012.
- ISSN 0706-652X.
- ^ 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; Burr, Brooks (1991). A Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes: North America North of Mexico. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-91091-9.
- ^ Species Fact Sheets: Coregonus clupaeformis (Report). Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (FAO). Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- ^ Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Factsheet: Petromyzon marinus Archived 2009-05-11 at the Wayback Machine U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program (NAS). Retrieved on 2007-08-04.
External links
- "Coregonus clupeaformis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 18 April 2006.
- Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) Government of Alberta, Sustainable Resources Department.