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Scientific Names

Baby Lake Whitefish

PHYLUM: Chordata; CLASS: Osteichthyes SUPERORDER: Teleostei
FAMILY: Salmonidae; SUBFAMILY: Coregoninae
GENUS:
Coregonus; SPECIES: clupeaformis; DESCRIBER: (Mitchill)

Position of Coregonus clupeaformis in worldwide arrangement of fish species.

What are LAKE WHITEFISH?
Lake Whitefish are rather large, 30-45 cm (12-18 inches) in length, elongate, laterally compressed fish with a snout projecting beyond their mouths, a member of the family Salmonidae, subfamily Coregoninae. They are generally silvery with backs brownish to black and bellies silvery white. Lake whitefish are distributed from Alaska easterly to Nova Scotia in deep water areas in large lakes and rivers. They are bottom feeders eating various insect larvae and nymphs, molluscs, amphipods, ostracods, etc. (See: Fishbase)

EARLY LIFE HISTORY of LAKE WHITEFISH:
Spawning Season of Adult LAKE WHITEFISH: Spawning is usually October to December depending upon the lake's temperature chronology.
Where LAKE WHITEFISH Eggs are Found: Eggs of LAKE WHITEFISH are broadcast randomly over rocks, gravel and even sand along shorelines or over offshore shoals.
Characteristics of Eggs: Demersal, slightly adhesive, orange-yellow colored, amber yolk with diameter ca. 2.0 mm upon deposition, oil globules number between 100 to 200, diameter of largest oil globule ca. 0.2 mm. Diameter of eggs 2.3 mm to 2.6 mm upon deposition but after water –hardening for 24 hours, they attain a diameter of 3.0 mm to 3.2 mm.
Size of Babies at Hatching: Ca. 12 mm to 13 mm length at 70 to 150 days incubation.
Movements of LAKE WHITEFISH Babies after hatching: Baby LAKE WHITEFISH hatch from eggs between stones and gravel in spring and begin to swim in a wiggly manner and gather in aggregations along steep shorelines. An "edge effect" appears to be important in their early movements. (Ref. 05, 09)

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