Arctic whitefish

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Arctic whitefish
Arctic whitefish

Arctic whitefish

Systematics
Cohort : Euteleosteomorpha
Order : Salmonid fish (Salmoniformes)
Family : Salmon fish (Salmonidae)
Subfamily : Coregoninae
Genre : Coregonus
Type : Arctic whitefish
Scientific name
Coregonus autumnalis
Pallas , 1776

The arctic whitefish ( Coregonus autumnalis ) is an anadromous migratory fish from the subfamily Coregoninae . In English usage it is sometimes referred to as Arctic Cisco .

features

The arctic vendace has the herring-like shape typical of its genus with numerous small, silvery round scales. On the back it is brown to gray, which ends in a silvery sheen towards the belly. It reaches a maximum length of 65 centimeters, but is usually no longer than 47 centimeters. It has 10–12 dorsal fin and 12–14 anal fin soft rays. Their number of vertebrae is between 64 and 67.

distribution

With the exception of the Ob and the Baikal , the arctic whitefish occurs in all tributaries of the Arctic Ocean ; in Europe from the Mesen River on the White Sea further east, in America from Point Barrow to the Coronation Gulf .

Way of life

The arctic whitefish occurs as an anadromous migratory fish in fresh , brackish and salt water . It prefers to live in larger rivers of the lowlands, but also lives in estuaries and lagoons. There it feeds on small fish, crustaceans and insects. Specimens living in the sea eat more small fish and larger crustaceans. The arctic whitefish becomes sexually mature at an age of 6–8 years, with a length of 280 to 340 mm. Then the fish form schools to be drawn up the rivers, without eating anything. Such walks can be up to 1500 km in length. Before they reproduce, they stay in the rivers for a year and regain their strength. The next year they spawn between September and October in oxygen-rich water over the scree. Then they wander back into the sea. Each individual whitefish does not spawn every year, but only repeats the cycle every 2–3 years. It takes up to 7 months for the fry to develop. In May or June these migrate into the sea.

Endangerment and Use

Although the populations have declined in recent years, the species is listed on the IUCN Red List as “Least Concern (LC)”. The arctic whitefish is also used commercially as food fish .

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