Freshwater whitefish

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Freshwater whitefish
Temporal range: Late Eocene–present
Coregonushoyi.jpg
Bloater ( Coregonus hoyi )
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Salmoniformes
Family: Salmonidae
Subfamily: Coregoninae
Bonaparte, 1845
Genera

The freshwater whitefish are fishes of the subfamily Coregoninae, which contains whitefishes (both freshwater and anadromous) and ciscoes, and is one of three subfamilies in the salmon family Salmonidae. [1] [2] Apart from the subfamily Coregoninae, the family Salmonidae includes the salmon, trout, and char species of the subfamily Salmoninae, and grayling species of the subfamily Thymallinae. [1] [3] Freshwater whitefish are distributed mainly in relatively cool waters throughout the northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

Contents

Taxonomy

The Coregoninae subfamily consists of three nominal genera: [4]

Two fossil genera ( Beckius David, 1946 and Parastenodus David, 1946) are also known, both only from isolated scales from the Late Eocene or early Oligocene Kreyenhagen Shale of the San Joaquin Valley, California. [9] [10]

Niche

In their ecosystems, whitefish tend to be some of the largest fish and occupy niches as benthic predators. [11] The recent invasion of several invasive species, [12] including the sea lamprey and zebra mussels, [11] has begun to pose a threat to the whitefish population by disrupting historic ecological relationships and prey distribution. [13] This has been exacerbated by other changes to their habitat such as changes in land use, climate change, [12] and the introduction of outside nutrients through runoff. [13]

Whitefish as food

Lox, smoked whitefish, cream cheese, and bagels Lox-and-smoked-whitefish-01.jpg
Lox, smoked whitefish, cream cheese, and bagels

Freshwater whitefish is known for its mild flavor and high omega-3 fatty acid content. [14] It is generally favored by those who dislike stronger fishy taste. [14] Lake whitefish is one of the most commonly consumed varieties of freshwater whitefish. [14]   It is especially popular in the Great Lakes region, where it can frequently be found, usually grilled or fried, as a popular offering in many restaurants. Smoked whitefish is locally produced as well. Many freshwater whitefish species have also made up an important component of the traditional diets of many indigenous people who have historically inhabited its range. [15] [16] Other varieties of smoked freshwater whitefish are sold in delicatessens and eaten as part of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, either filleted [17] [18] or made into whitefish salad. [19] [20]

Use by indigenous peoples

Lake whitefish, adikameg in Ojibwe, has historically been a staple food for the Anishinaabe, [21] a diverse group of tribes native to the North American Midwest. [16] In recent years, following several legal battles which restored the ability of native peoples to exercise their right to hunt and gather, [21] whitefish has become a major resource for those communities. Native Alaskan communities also gather whitefish, specifically the inconnu (or sheefish), as a subsistence food. [15]

Evolution due to human interaction

There are a multitude of species of freshwater whitefish, some are more valued economically than others. Fishing for markets is not uncommon for species such as Coregonus widegreni and Coregonus lavaretus . At the time, there was an increase in younger groups of C. widegreni because when fishing, humans only wanted the larger fish which ended up being the oldest. [22]

Related Research Articles

<i>Coregonus</i> Genus of fishes

Coregonus is a diverse genus of fish in the salmon family (Salmonidae). The Coregonus species are known as whitefishes. The genus contains at least 68 described extant taxa, but the true number of species is a matter of debate. The type species of the genus is Coregonus lavaretus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salmonidae</span> Family of ray-finned fishes

Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish that constitutes the only currently extant family in the order Salmoniformes, consisting of 11 extant genera and over 200 species collectively known as "salmonids" or "salmonoids". The family includes salmon, trout, char, graylings, freshwater whitefishes, taimens and lenoks, all coldwater mid-level predatory fish that inhabit the subarctic and cool temperate waters of the Northern Hemisphere. The Atlantic salmon, whose Latin name became that of its genus Salmo, is also the eponym of the family and order names.

<i>Coregonus lavaretus</i> Species of fish

Coregonus lavaretus is a species of freshwater whitefish, in the family Salmonidae. It is the type species of its genus Coregonus.

<i>Stenodus leucichthys</i> Species of fish

Stenodus leucichthys is a species of freshwater whitefish in the family Salmonidae. In the strict sense its natural distribution is restricted to the Caspian Sea basin. It is now considered extinct in the wild, but survives in cultured stocks. The nelma, a more widespread species of Eurasian and North America, is sometimes considered its subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cisco (fish)</span> Group of fishes

The ciscoes are salmonid fish that differ from other members of the genus Coregonus in having upper and lower jaws of approximately equal length and high gill raker counts. These species have been the focus of much study recently, as researchers have sought to determine the relationships among species that appear to have evolved very recently. The term cisco is also specifically used of the North American species Coregonus artedi, also known as lake herring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shortnose cisco</span> Species of fish

The shortnose cisco is a North American freshwater whitefish in the salmon family Salmonidae. One of the members of the broader Coregonus artedi species complex of ciscoes, it is native to the Great Lakes of Canada and the United States. Its population has been declining and it has disappeared from some of its earlier haunts. The last reported population was restricted to Georgian Bay off Lake Huron in Canada. It is thought that declines in the population of this fish may be linked with the arrival of the sea lamprey, in the Great Lakes. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the conservation status of this fish as "critically endangered", and possibly extinct.

Whitefish or white fish may refer to:

<i>Coregonus albula</i> Species of fish

Coregonus albula, known as the vendace or as the European cisco, is a species of freshwater whitefish in the family Salmonidae. It is found in lakes in northern Europe, especially Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia and Estonia, and in some lakes of Norway, the United Kingdom, northern Germany, and Poland. It is also found in diluted brackish water in the Gulfs of Finland and Bothnia, both of which are in the Baltic Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round whitefish</span> Species of fish

The round whitefish is a freshwater species of fish that is found in North American drainages from Alaska to New England, including the Great Lakes except for Lake Erie, and in Arctic tributaries of northeast Asia, as well as northern Kamchatka Peninsula and the northern coasts of the Sea of Okhotsk. It has an olive-brown back with light silvery sides and underside and its length is generally between 9 and 19 inches. They are bottom feeders, feeding mostly on invertebrates, such as crustaceans, insect larvae, and fish eggs. Some other fish species, like white sucker in turn eat their eggs. Lake trout, northern pike and burbot are natural predators. Other common names of the round whitefish are Menominee, pilot fish, frost fish, round-fish, and Menominee whitefish. The common name "round whitefish" is also sometimes used to describe Coregonus huntsmani, a salmonid more commonly known as the Atlantic whitefish.

<i>Coregonus hoyi</i> Species of fish

Coregonus hoyi, also known as the bloater, is a species or form of freshwater whitefish in the family Salmonidae. It is a silvery-coloured herring-like fish, 25.5 centimetres (10.0 in) long. It is found in most of the Great Lakes and in Lake Nipigon, and inhabits underwater slopes. This fish is not to be confused with the extinct deepwater cisco, a large fish that shared a common name with the bloater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic whitefish</span> Species of fish

The Atlantic whitefish is a coregonine fish inhabiting some freshwater lakes within Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known to survive only in the Petite Rivière watershed as landlocked populations. Earlier it was also found in the Tusket and Annis rivers of Nova Scotia. Those populations were anadromous, migrating to the estuary to feed while breeding in freshwater.

Stenodus is a genus of large-sized whitefish in the family Salmonidae. It consists of two species; one of them (beloribitsa) is extinct in the wild. The two species have alternatively been considered subspecies of the single species Stenodus leucichthys.

<i>Coregonus artedi</i> Species of fish

Coregonus artedi, commonly known as the cisco, is a North American species of freshwater whitefish in the family Salmonidae. The number of species and definition of species limits in North American ciscoes is a matter of debate. Accordingly, Coregonus artedi may refer either in a narrow sense to one of the several types of cisco found e.g. in the Great Lakes, or in a broad sense to the complex of all ciscoes in continental North American lakes, Coregonus artedi sensu lato.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pygmy whitefish</span> Species of fish

The pygmy whitefish is a freshwater whitefish of the genus Prosopium in the family Salmonidae. Found in the mountain streams and lakes in western North America, it also has isolated populations in Lake Superior and in Ekityki Lake, Chukchi Peninsula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bering cisco</span> Species of fish

The Bering cisco or Lauretta whitefish is a freshwater whitefish found in Alaska and part of Russia. It is often considered to be the same species as the more common Arctic cisco.

<i>Coregonus maraena</i> Species of fish

Coregonus maraena, referred to in English as the maraene, maraena whitefish, vendace, cisco, lake herring, lake whitefish or the whitefish, is a whitefish of the family Salmonidae that occurs in the Baltic Sea basin - in the sea itself and the inflowing rivers, and in several lakes as landlocked populations. It is found in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Russia and Sweden. As of 2013, it has been listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN and as endangered by HELCOM. It is an extremely important fish within the Baltic Sea ecosystem, both for population equilibrium and for the local diets of the surrounding human population. Due to a variety of factors, mostly overfishing, the maraena's population dwindled to near-extinction levels. Thus, rampant repopulation was enacted to preserve this important fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake whitefish</span> Species of fish

The lake whitefish 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. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peipsi whitefish</span> Species of fish

The Peipsi whitefish is a freshwater whitefish of the family Salmonidae that naturally occurs in Lake Peipus on the border of Estonia and Russia, from where it also ascends to Lake Võrtsjärv to spawn. It has been introduced in Lake Burtnieks (Latvia), Gulf of Riga, many lakes of northern Russia, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Lake Sevan (Armenia) and Balkash (Kazakhstan). It is a benthopelagic fish up to 60 cm long.

Coregonus tugun, the tugun, is a species freshwater whitefish from rivers draining to the Arctic Ocean. It is one of the several species of Siberian whitefishes, with a distribution encompassing rivers from the Ob in the west to the Yana River in the east. In the Lower Ob basin, it inhabits in all the Ural tributaries. It never enters the sea.

<i>Coregonus widegreni</i> Species of fish

Coregonus widegreni, also called the Valaam whitefish, is a putative species of freshwater whitefish, a part of the common whitefish complex from Northern Europe. It is a demersal form of freshwater whitefish that feeds on benthic invertebrates. It spawns in late autumn, and can reach a length of 55 cm maximum. It is characterized by a low gill raker density.

References

  1. 1 2 Nuttall, Mark (12 November 2012). Encyclopedia of the Arctic. Routledge. p. 1834. ISBN   978-1-57958-436-8.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Behnke, Robert J (6 July 2010). Trout and Salmon of North America (1st ed.). New York: The Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc. pp. 335–340. ISBN   978-1-4516-0355-2.
  3. ↑ "Salmonidae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Coregoninae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Coregonus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  6. ↑ "Prosopium". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Taxonomic information for Inconnus (Stenodus)". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  8. ↑ Bernatchez, L; Colombani, F; Dodson, JJ (1991). "Phylogenetic relationships among the subfamily Coregoninae as revealed by mitochondrial DNA restriction analysis" (PDF). Journal of Fish Biology . 39: 283–290. Bibcode:1991JFBio..39S.283B. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1991.tb05091.x. ISSN   0022-1112.
  9. ↑ David, Lorre R. (1946). "Some Typical Upper Eogene Fish Scales from California". Contributions to Paleontology. IV.
  10. ↑ "PBDB Taxon". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  11. 1 2 Ergas, S.J.; Aponte-Morales, V. (2014), "Biological Nitrogen Removal", Comprehensive Water Quality and Purification, Elsevier, pp. 123–149, doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-382182-9.00047-5, ISBN   978-0-12-382183-6 , retrieved 2022-04-26
  12. 1 2 Renik, Kathryn M.; Jennings, Martin J.; Kampa, Jeffrey M.; Lyons, John; Parks, Timothy P.; Sass, Greg G. (2020-08-20). "Status and Distribution of Cisco (Coregonus artedi) and Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in Inland Lakes of Wisconsin". Northeastern Naturalist. 27 (3): 469. doi:10.1656/045.027.0307. ISSN   1092-6194. S2CID   222001614.
  13. 1 2 Borvinskaya, E.V.; Sukhovskaya, I.V.; Vasil’eva, O.B.; Nazarova, M.A.; Smirnov, L.P.; Svetov, S.A.; Krutskikh, N.V. (2017-02-08). "Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) Response to Varying Potassium and Sodium Concentrations: A Model of Mining Water Toxic Response". Mine Water and the Environment. 36 (3): 393–400. Bibcode:2017MWE....36..393B. doi:10.1007/s10230-016-0426-0. ISSN   1025-9112. S2CID   99067213.
  14. 1 2 3 "Lake Whitefish – Eat Wisconsin Fish" . Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  15. 1 2 Baker, Timothy T.; Sands, Tim; West, Fred; Westing, Charlotte, eds. (2009), Pacific Salmon: Ecology and Management of Western Alaska's Populations, American Fisheries Society, doi:10.47886/9781934874110.ch44, ISBN   978-1-934874-11-0 , retrieved 2022-04-26
  16. 1 2 Kuhnlein, H.V. (2017). "Traditional Animal Foods of Indigenous Peoples of North America".
  17. ↑ Achitoff-Gray, Niki (September 2014). "Lox, Whitefish, and Beyond: An Introduction to Appetizing". Serious Eats. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  18. ↑ Federman, Niki Russ (October 2015). "The Russ & Daughters Guide to Smoked & Cured Fish". Lucky Peach. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  19. ↑ Avey, Tori (February 2011). "Whitefish Salad". Tori Avey. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  20. ↑ Kapadia, Jess (April 29, 2013). "Whitefish Salad, The Bagel's Secret Lover". Food Republic. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  21. 1 2 GLIFWC. "Lifting Nets: Gurnoe Decision [video]". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  22. ↑ Kallio-Nyberg, Irma; Veneranta, Lari; Saloniemi, Irma; Jokikokko, Erkki; Leskelä, Ari (March 12, 2019). "Different growth trends of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) forms in the northern Baltic Sea". Journal of Applied Ichthyology . 35 (3): 683–691. Bibcode:2019JApIc..35..683K. doi: 10.1111/jai.13898 – via Wiley.
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