Shortnose cisco
| Shortnose cisco | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Salmoniformes |
| Family: | Salmonidae |
| Genus: | Coregonus |
| Species: | C. reighardi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Coregonus reighardi (
Koelz , 1924) | |
The shortnose cisco (Coregonus reighardi) is a
critically endangered", and possibly extinct
.
Description
Reaching a maximum recorded length of 36 cm (14 in) and a maximum recorded weight of 540 g (1 lb 3 oz), the shortnose cisco is distinguished from the other whitefishes by its thicker body (nearly circular in cross-section), short head (the source of the fish's common name), and small eye.
Ecology
Like many Coregonus species, the shortnose cisco is poorly understood, and little is known about its breeding or life-cycle except that it spawns in the spring at the lake bottom; the oldest specimen collected was eight years of age. The fish feeds on
molluscs, and zooplankton
.
Status
It is native to the Great Lakes, formerly occurring in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Ontario in Canada and the United States. The
alien sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), in combination with commercial overfishing
, has contributed to the fish's drastic reduction in numbers and possible extirpation.
References
- . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- "Coregonus reighardi". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 12 December 2004.
- Division of Endangered Species. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Extinct Species List". Fort Snelling, Minn.: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, n.d. Accessed on 12 December 2004.
- Flowers, Jonathan. "The Shortnose Cisco (Coregonus reighardi): A Species Possibly Extinct". Canadian Biodiversity Project. Montréal: McGill University, 2000.
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2004). "Coregonus reighardi" in FishBase. October 2004 version.
- Natural Heritage Information Centre. Ministry of Natural Resources. Province of Ontario. "General Element Report: Coregonus reighardi". Updated 23 October 1997. Toronto: Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2002.
