Lake Whitefish

Coregonus clupeaformis (incl. Coregonus nelsonnii,

General Status Rank: 
Secure
ELCODE: 
AFCHA01040
Common Name: 
Lake Whitefish
Scientific Name: 
Coregonus clupeaformis (incl. Coregonus nelsonnii,
Naming References: 
B011
B059
A429
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Taxonomy
Group: 
Fish
Kingdom: 
Animalia
Phylum: 
Chordata
Class: 
Actinopterygii
Order: 
Salmoniformes
Family: 
Salmonidae
References: 
B011
B059
W012
General Biology

Longevity

max = 28 years
References: 
B011
B059

Economic/Human Considerations

important commercial spp(B011,B059). fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums Valued for its meat as well as for its roe, which is made into an excellent caviar; utilized fresh, smoked, and frozen; eaten steamed, fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved, and baked (W017)
References: 
B011
B059
W017
Habitat
adults = benthic zone of deep and/or cold lakes spawning = shallow water young = aggregate as steep shorelines for a few months before descending; Species primarily a lacustrine taxon which occurs in lakes throughout the Mackenzie basin, Some marine(B011,B059,H139,BSC5) Env:demersal; anadromous freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 18 - 128 m. Clim: temperate; 71°N - 40°N (W017)
References: 
B011
B059
H133
H139
BSC5
W017
Distribution

Ecozones

Northern Arctic, Southern Arctic, Taiga Cordillera, Taiga Plains, Taiga Shield, Boreal Cordillera, Boreal Plains, Arctic Ocean, Beaufort Sea Amundsen Gulf
References: 
B011
B059
BSC5
R131
B172

Distribution

0.878
Score: 
G
References: 
B011
Marine Distribution Description: 
coastal river mouths

Number of Occurrences

more than 100; throughout the mainland; Marine: 20+ known occurrences in NWT: from Delta along coast to Cape Bathurst
References: 
B011
B059
BSC5

Historical Distribution

unknown
References: 
B011
B059

Area of Occupancy

stable
Score: 
-
References: 
H133
Population

Population Size

more than 10 000 (H133); 91cm(R131)
Score: 
F
References: 
H133
R131
Trends

Trends

stable
References: 
H133
Threats

Threats

potential commercial overfishing; very limited threat in NWT
Score: 
C
References: 
B011
B059

Intrinsic Vulnerability

limited in NWT
Score: 
-
References: 
B011
B059
General Status Rank
Rank: 
Secure
Status Rank Description: 
Abundant (R131) incl Coregonus pidschian (A429)
S Rank: 
S5
Decision Process Description: 
Drafted by the Arctic Stock Assessment DFO Committee - Freshwater Fishes - Chris Day, Dr. Ross Tallman, Dr. Sue Cosens with review by S. Carriere in 2000; Reviewed by L Cooper, G Low, Dr Reist in 2005, no change.; Reviewed in 2010, no change; Reviewed by DFO in 2015, no change
Last Updated: 
September 7, 2016

References

Area of Occupancy

  • Arctic Stock Assessment DFO Committee - Freshwater Fishes - Chris Day, Dr. Ross Tallman, Dr. Sue Cosens (2000) Pers. communication. Arctic Stock Assessment Section, DFO Science Directorate, Freshwater Institute, 501 University Cres., R3T 2N6 , 204 983 5158 - H133 Return

Economic Status

  • Scott WB and Crossman EJ (1979) Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bryant Press Ltd RWED Library Call #QL626.S3 - B011 Return
  • McPhail JD, and Lindsey CC (1970) Freshwater Fishes of Northwestern Canada and Alaska. Queen's Printer for Canada Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 173 RWED Library Call QL 626.M3 - B059 Return
  • FishBase (2004) Fish Base, accessed Nov 5, 2004. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2004 www.fishbase.org, version (09/2004) - W017 Return

Ecozones

  • Scott WB and Crossman EJ (1979) Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bryant Press Ltd RWED Library Call #QL626.S3 - B011 Return
  • McPhail JD, and Lindsey CC (1970) Freshwater Fishes of Northwestern Canada and Alaska. Queen's Printer for Canada Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 173 RWED Library Call QL 626.M3 - B059 Return
  • Hunter, J.G., Leach, S.T. McAllister, D.E. and Steigerwald, M.B. (1984) A distributional atlas of records of the marine fishes of Arctic Canada in the Naitonal Museums of Canada and Arctic Biological Station.. National Museum of Natural Sciences Syllogeus 52 RWED Library QL 626.5 . N67D57 - BSC5 Return
  • Coad B.W. and Reist J.D. (2004) Annotated List of the Arctic Marine Fishes of Canada.. DFO, Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2674 - R131 Return
  • Sawatzky, C.D., Michalak, D. Reist, J.D. Carmichael, T.J., Mandrak, N.E., Heuring, L.G. (2007) Distributions of freshwater and anadromous fishes from the mainland Northwest Territories, Canada.. Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2793 - B172 Return

Habitat

  • Scott WB and Crossman EJ (1979) Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bryant Press Ltd RWED Library Call #QL626.S3 - B011 Return
  • McPhail JD, and Lindsey CC (1970) Freshwater Fishes of Northwestern Canada and Alaska. Queen's Printer for Canada Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 173 RWED Library Call QL 626.M3 - B059 Return
  • Arctic Stock Assessment DFO Committee - Freshwater Fishes - Chris Day, Dr. Ross Tallman, Dr. Sue Cosens (2000) Pers. communication. Arctic Stock Assessment Section, DFO Science Directorate, Freshwater Institute, 501 University Cres., R3T 2N6 , 204 983 5158 - H133 Return
  • Reist, JD (2000) Pers. communication. DFO Research Scientist and Head Arctic Fish Ecology and Assessment Research Section Fisheries and Oceans Canada DFO - H139 Return
  • Hunter, J.G., Leach, S.T. McAllister, D.E. and Steigerwald, M.B. (1984) A distributional atlas of records of the marine fishes of Arctic Canada in the Naitonal Museums of Canada and Arctic Biological Station.. National Museum of Natural Sciences Syllogeus 52 RWED Library QL 626.5 . N67D57 - BSC5 Return
  • FishBase (2004) Fish Base, accessed Nov 5, 2004. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2004 www.fishbase.org, version (09/2004) - W017 Return

Historical Distribution

  • Scott WB and Crossman EJ (1979) Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bryant Press Ltd RWED Library Call #QL626.S3 - B011 Return
  • McPhail JD, and Lindsey CC (1970) Freshwater Fishes of Northwestern Canada and Alaska. Queen's Printer for Canada Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 173 RWED Library Call QL 626.M3 - B059 Return

Intrinsic Vulnerability

  • Scott WB and Crossman EJ (1979) Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bryant Press Ltd RWED Library Call #QL626.S3 - B011 Return
  • McPhail JD, and Lindsey CC (1970) Freshwater Fishes of Northwestern Canada and Alaska. Queen's Printer for Canada Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 173 RWED Library Call QL 626.M3 - B059 Return

Longevity

  • Scott WB and Crossman EJ (1979) Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bryant Press Ltd RWED Library Call #QL626.S3 - B011 Return
  • McPhail JD, and Lindsey CC (1970) Freshwater Fishes of Northwestern Canada and Alaska. Queen's Printer for Canada Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 173 RWED Library Call QL 626.M3 - B059 Return

Naming

  • Scott WB and Crossman EJ (1979) Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bryant Press Ltd RWED Library Call #QL626.S3 - B011 Return
  • McPhail JD, and Lindsey CC (1970) Freshwater Fishes of Northwestern Canada and Alaska. Queen's Printer for Canada Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 173 RWED Library Call QL 626.M3 - B059 Return
  • Mee JA, Bernatchez L, Reist JD, Rogers SM, and Taylor EB Author information (2015) Evol Appl. 8(5):423-441 ecopy DIIMS - A429 Return

NWT Known Subspecies

Arctic Stock Assessment DFO Committee - Freshwater Fishes - Chris Day, Dr. Ross Tallman, Dr. Sue Cosens (2000) Pers. communication. Arctic Stock Assessment Section, DFO Science Directorate, Freshwater Institute, 501 University Cres., R3T 2N6 , 204 983 5158 - H133 Return
,
Reist, JD (2000) Pers. communication. DFO Research Scientist and Head Arctic Fish Ecology and Assessment Research Section Fisheries and Oceans Canada DFO - H139 Return
,
Sawatzky, C.D., Michalak, D. Reist, J.D. Carmichael, T.J., Mandrak, N.E., Heuring, L.G. (2007) Distributions of freshwater and anadromous fishes from the mainland Northwest Territories, Canada.. Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2793 - B172 Return
,
Foote, C.J. Clayton, J. W. Lindsey, C.C. and Bodaly, R.A (1992) Evolution of Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in North America during the Pleistocenen: Evidence for a Nahanni Glacial Refuge Race in the northern Cordillera region.. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 49: 760-768 - A139 Return
,
Rogers, S.M. (2008) Designatable units at an appropriate scale for the Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis). COSEWIC Special Report - presented to COSEWIC in April 2009 copy in binder - R183 Return
,
Mee JA, Bernatchez L, Reist JD, Rogers SM, and Taylor EB Author information (2015) Evol Appl. 8(5):423-441 ecopy DIIMS - A429 Return

Number of Occurrences

  • Scott WB and Crossman EJ (1979) Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bryant Press Ltd RWED Library Call #QL626.S3 - B011 Return
  • McPhail JD, and Lindsey CC (1970) Freshwater Fishes of Northwestern Canada and Alaska. Queen's Printer for Canada Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 173 RWED Library Call QL 626.M3 - B059 Return
  • Hunter, J.G., Leach, S.T. McAllister, D.E. and Steigerwald, M.B. (1984) A distributional atlas of records of the marine fishes of Arctic Canada in the Naitonal Museums of Canada and Arctic Biological Station.. National Museum of Natural Sciences Syllogeus 52 RWED Library QL 626.5 . N67D57 - BSC5 Return

Population Size

Arctic Stock Assessment DFO Committee - Freshwater Fishes - Chris Day, Dr. Ross Tallman, Dr. Sue Cosens (2000) Pers. communication. Arctic Stock Assessment Section, DFO Science Directorate, Freshwater Institute, 501 University Cres., R3T 2N6 , 204 983 5158 - H133 Return
,
Coad B.W. and Reist J.D. (2004) Annotated List of the Arctic Marine Fishes of Canada.. DFO, Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2674 - R131 Return

Range Extent

  • Scott WB and Crossman EJ (1979) Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bryant Press Ltd RWED Library Call #QL626.S3 - B011 Return

Short Term Trends

  • Arctic Stock Assessment DFO Committee - Freshwater Fishes - Chris Day, Dr. Ross Tallman, Dr. Sue Cosens (2000) Pers. communication. Arctic Stock Assessment Section, DFO Science Directorate, Freshwater Institute, 501 University Cres., R3T 2N6 , 204 983 5158 - H133 Return

Taxonomy

  • Scott WB and Crossman EJ (1979) Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bryant Press Ltd RWED Library Call #QL626.S3 - B011 Return
  • McPhail JD, and Lindsey CC (1970) Freshwater Fishes of Northwestern Canada and Alaska. Queen's Printer for Canada Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 173 RWED Library Call QL 626.M3 - B059 Return
  • Fish Base (1999) FishBase 99. http://www.cgiar.org/iclarm/fishbase/ - W012 Return

Threats

  • Scott WB and Crossman EJ (1979) Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bryant Press Ltd RWED Library Call #QL626.S3 - B011 Return
  • McPhail JD, and Lindsey CC (1970) Freshwater Fishes of Northwestern Canada and Alaska. Queen's Printer for Canada Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 173 RWED Library Call QL 626.M3 - B059 Return