(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species whitefish, Atlantic
Species Id M010053
Date 26 AUG 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - whitefish, Atlantic
OTHER COMMON NAMES - Atlantic whitefish, Acadian whitefish, Fr. coregone atlantique and Fr. coregone d'Acadie
ELEMENT CODE -
CATEGORY - Fish
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - ,
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - Osteichthyes,
ORDER AND SUBORDER - Salmoniformes,
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - Salmonidae,
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - Coregonus,
SPECIES AND SSP - clupeaformis,
SCIENTIFIC NAME - Coregonus clupeaformis
AUTHORITY - Mitchill, 1818
TAXONOMY REFERENCES - 258
COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
A small but famous family of freshwater and anadromous fishes, known as
salmonides or salmons, trouts, chars, and whitefishes. Salmonids are widely
distributed in waters of the arctic and north temperate zones of the
northern hemisphere and dominate many of the fresh and inshore (salt) waters
of northern North America, Europe, and Asia. Many go to sea and return to
freshwater rivers to spawn, and are, therefore, anadromous; but some
normally anadromous species may remain in fresh water throughout their lives
and are said to be landlocked.
Three groups or subfamilies - Salmonini (trouts, salmon, chars), Thymallini
(graylings), and Coregonini (whitefishes); 9 genera with about 68 species;
10 species occur in Canadian Atlantic waters, 5 (pink, coho, and chinook
salmons, brown and rainbow trouts) as a result of introduction.*258*
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species whitefish, Atlantic
Species Id M010053
Date 26 AUG 96
STATUS
Coded Status
See Comments
Sensitive
Sport Fish
Migrant
REFERENCES FOR STATUS - 258
COMMENTS ON STATUS -
Anadromous whitefish were caught by anglers in the Tusket River and in
Wedgeport and Yarmouth harbors prior to the early 1950s and were considered
abundant. However, during the early 1950s large numbers of whitefish were
taken by poachers from the upper pools of the fish ladder constructed at the
hydroelectric dam at Tusket Falls. The fish caught by poachers were loaded
into a dump truck and used as fertilizer. Exploitation at the fish ladder
may have occurred more than once, but in any case the Tusket River
population never recovered to former levels of abundance. This whitefish
supported a minor sport fishery and was considered to be a good food fish of
fine flavor. This endemic Canadian whitefish is classified as "threatened"
by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.*258*
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Distribution
Species whitefish, Atlantic
Species Id M010053
Date 26 AUG 96
DISTRIBUTION
Distribution - 1 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
HABITAT - AQUATIC
REFERENCES FOR HABITAT - 258
LAND USE -
Water
REFERENCES FOR LAND USE - 258
NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY CODES
NWI NWICLS NWIMOD NWISPEC
Marine
Riverine
Estuarine
REFERENCES FOR NWI - 258
COMMENTS ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS -
The Atlantic whitefish is an anadromous, seagoing whitefish occurring in
only a few river and lakes in southwestern Nova Scotia. Its habitat
requirements, in both the sea and fresh water, are largely unknown.
Captures of whitefish were made in late May, and in June, July, and August,
indicating that this species is at sea in coastal waters during summer
months. The fish were said by local fishermen and fishery officers to move
upstream in the Tusket River (SW Nova Scotia) in October and downstream to
the estuary in the spring. On the upstream migration, presumably a
spawning run, they were often accompanied by Atlantic salmon.*258*
ANIMAL/PLANT SPECIES ASSOCIATIONS -
whiteperch and eel (possible)
REFERENCES FOR SPECIES ASSOCIATIONS - 258
COMMENTS ON SPECIES ASSOCIATIONS -
Predation and competition: Interaction of non-anadromous populations with
white perch and the American eel undoubtedly occurs but evidence is lacking.
Similarly, there is no information available on the interaction of
anadromous populations with other marine organisms other than for food
items.*258*
Parasites and disease: Parasites have not been reported by field observers
and no detailed studies of parasites or diseases have been conducted.*258*
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species whitefish, Atlantic
Species Id M010053
Date 26 AUG 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
OMNIVORE
REFERENCES FOR TROPHIC LEVEL - 258
LIFESTAGE FOOD FOOD PART
General Clupeiformes Not Specified
General Molluscs Not Specified
General Crustaceans Not Specified
General Plants Not Specified
General Rooted aquat. plant Not Specified
General Tracheophyta Not Specified
REFERENCES FOR GENERAL FOOD - 258
COMMENTS ON FOOD -
Whitefish caught off Wedgeport in seawater and examined were found to have
remains of Atlantic herring in their stomachs, probably from having fed on
the refuse from a nearby herring processing plant. Also found in the
digestive tracts were shells of the periwinkle, Littorina littorea, some
amphipods, decapods, and a few blades of eelgrass, Zostera marina.*258*
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species whitefish, Atlantic
Species Id M010053
Date 26 AUG 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G
REFERENCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 258
COMMENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS -
The Atlantic whitefish is an anadromous, seagoing whitefish occurring in
only a few river and lakes in southwestern Nova Scotia. Its habitat
requirements, in both the sea and fresh water, are largely unknown.
Captures of whitefish were made in late May, and in June, July, and August,
indicating that this species is at sea in coastal waters during summer
months. The fish were said by local fishermen and fishery officers to move
upstream in the Tusket River (SW Nova Scotia) in October and downstream to
the estuary in the spring. On the upstream migration, presumably a
spawning run, they were often accompanied by Atlantic salmon.*258*
Salinity off Wedgeport, a place of capture, was 31 ppt.*258*
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species whitefish, Atlantic
Species Id M010053
Date 26 AUG 96
LIFE HISTORY
Description: Body elongate, terete, laterally compressed, less so than for
lake whitefish. Head relatively short, about 20 percent of body length,
nuchal hump absent; snout length always greater than eye diameter; mouth
usually terminal; upper and lower jaws equal on small or medium sized fish
when mouth closed; upper jaw or snout projecting slightly on large males;
maxillary extending to below anterior part of eye, seldom to below pupil;
small but well-developed teeth on premaxillaries, vomer, palatines, lower
jaw, and tongue at all sizes; eye small, adipose eyelid distinct, especially
on anadromous specimens. Gill rakers usually 25 or 26, extreme range 23-27.
Branchiostegals 6-9. Fins: dorsal 10-12, adipose dorsal present; caudal
caudal distinctly forked; anal 9-12; pelvics 11 or 12; pelvic axillary
process long, exceeding maxillary length at all sizes; pectorals 15 or 16.
Scales cycloid, 91-100 in lateral line; nuptial tubercles developed on males
at least on scales on flanks and also on top and sides of head. Lateral
line complete. Vertebrae 63 or 64. Size: average 0.5-1.5 kg in weight.
Color overall silvery, dorsal and caudal fins dusky, lower fins light.*258*
Reproduction: Information on the actual time and place of spawning is
lacking. Presumably the upstream movement in October was a spawning
run.*258*
Growth: No information on growth is available. The weight of whitefish
caught in the Tusket River salmon trap ranged from 0.45 to 2.27 kg according
to local observers. Fishery officers have reported seeing anadromous
whitefish from the Tusket River that weighed as much as 3.63 kg.*258*
Predation and competition: Interaction of non-anadromous populations with
white perch and the American eel undoubtedly occurs but evidence is lacking.
Similarly, there is no information available on the interaction of
anadromous populations with other marine organisms other than for food
items.*258*
Parasites and disease: Parasites have not been reported by field observers
and no detailed studies of parasites or diseases have been conducted.*258*
LIFE HISTORY CODES -
Breeding/Spawning Season: October
REFERENCES FOR LIFE HISTORY- 258
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species whitefish, Atlantic
Species Id M010053
Date 26 AUG 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species whitefish, Atlantic
Species Id M010053
Date 26 AUG 96
References
References - 1