Broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus)

General data

Main name: Broad whitefish
Local names: Round-nosed whitefish, Sheep-nosed whitefish, Large Bottom Whitefish
Climates: Subpolar
Habitat: Freshwater
Native: North America, Europe, Asia
Distribution: Yenisey, Mackenzie, Yana, Lena, Pechora, Kuskokwim River

Classification

Genus: Coregonus - Whitefishes
Family: Salmonidae - Salmons and Trouts
Order: Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts
Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes

Description

The broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus) is a freshwater whitefish species. Dark silvery in colour, and like a herring in its shape. Its distinctive features includes: a convex head, short gill rakers, and a mild overbite. It is found in the Arctic-draining streams, lakes, and rivers of far eastern Russia and North America. Its prey includes larval insects, snails, and shellfish. It is eaten by humans and brown bears. The broad whitefish is a herring-shaped fish with a more compressed body and convex head than other whitefishes. It is iridescent, with a dark olive-brown back, silvery grey sides, and a whitish bottom. Features that distinguish it from other species include a mild overbite and 18–25 short gill rakers. The fins of adults are grey, while those of young fish are grey. It reaches a maximum length of 70 centimetres (28 in), and a maximum weight of 16 kilograms (35 lb). The broad whitefish is found in Arctic-draining basins in northern Eurasia and North America from the Pechora River to the Perry River. Most commonly inhabiting streams, it is also found in lakes and estuaries with a salinity of less than 15 percent. Fish from freshwater populations sometimes migrate to or through ocean waters, especially in the winter. It is nerito-pelagic, meaning that it is found in inshore open water. Throughout its range it is widespread and abundant, and there are no known threats to its survival, though it could potentially be threatened by overfishing, habitat destruction caused by oil exploration, and alteration of rivers. It has a number of genetically distinct forms in the various basins it occurs in. It has been stocked successfully in Belgium and unsuccessfully in Latvia, Ukraine, Estonia, China. An introduction has been made in Mining, Austria, where a rod and reel record fish was caught in 2002.

Taxonomy of Fishes

Osteichthyes - Bony fishes->
- Coelacanthi - Lobe-finned fishes->
- Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes->
  - Perciformes - Perches->
  - Cypriniformes - Carps->
  - Esociformes - Pikes->
  - Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts->
    
    Salmonidae - Salmons and Trouts->
    
    Salmo - Atlantic Salmons and Trouts->
    
    Hucho - Huchens->
    
    Salvelinus - Chars->
    
    Oncorhynchus - Pacific Salmons and Trouts->
    
    Thymallus - Graylings->
    
    Coregonus - Whitefishes->
    
    Common whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus)
    
    Vendace (Coregonus albula)
    
    Baikal omul (Coregonus migratorius)
    
    Bodensee whitefish (Coregonus wartmanni)
    
    Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)
    
    Alpine whitefish (Coregonus alpinus)
    
    Northern whitefish (Coregonus peled)
    
    Irish pollan (Coregonus pollan)
    
    Humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian)
    
    Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis)
    
    Broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus)
    
    Sardine cisco (Coregonus sardinella)
    
    Maraena Whitefish (Coregonus maraena)
    
    Coregonus albellus (Coregonus albellus)
    
    Longjaw cisco (Coregonus alpenae)
    
    Coregonus anaulorum (Coregonus anaulorum)
    
    Coregonus arenicolus (Coregonus arenicolus)
    
    Cisco (Coregonus artedi)
    
    Coregonus atterensis (Coregonus atterensis)
    
    Coregonus austriacus (Coregonus austriacus)
    
    Coregonus baerii (Coregonus baerii)
    
    Coregonus baicalensis (Coregonus baicalensis)
    
    Coregonus baunti (Coregonus baunti)
    
    Coregonus bavaricus (Coregonus bavaricus)
    
    Coregonus bezola (Coregonus bezola)
    
    Coregonus candidus (Coregonus candidus)
    
    Khadary-whitefish (Coregonus chadary)
    
    Powan (Coregonus clupeoides)
    
    Coregonus confusus (Coregonus confusus)
    
    Coregonus danneri (Coregonus danneri)
    
    Coregonus duplex (Coregonus duplex)
    
    Coregonus fatioi (Coregonus fatioi)
    
    Coregonus fera (Coregonus fera)
    
    Coregonus fontanae (Coregonus fontanae)
    
    Coregonus gutturosus (Coregonus gutturosus)
    
    Coregonus heglingus (Coregonus heglingus)
    
    Coregonus hiemalis (Coregonus hiemalis)
    
    Coregonus hoferi (Coregonus hoferi)
    
    Coregonus holsatus (Coregonus holsatus)
    
    Bloater (Coregonus hoyi)
    
    Atlantic whitefish (Coregonus huntsmani)
    
    Deepwater cisco (Coregonus johannae)
    
    Coregonus kiletz (Coregonus kiletz)
    
    Kiyi (Coregonus kiyi)
    
    Coregonus ladogae (Coregonus ladogae)
    
    Bering cisco (Coregonus laurettae)
    
    Coregonus lucinensis (Coregonus lucinensis)
    
    Coregonus lutokka (Coregonus lutokka)
    
    Gangfisch (Coregonus macrophthalmus)
    
    Peipsi whitefish (Coregonus maraenoides)
    
    Coregonus maxillaris (Coregonus maxillaris)
    
    Lacustrine fluvial whitefish (Coregonus megalops)
    
    Muksun (Coregonus muksun)
    
    Alaska whitefish (Coregonus nelsonii)
    
    Blackfin cisco (Coregonus nigripinnis)
    
    Coregonus nilssoni (Coregonus nilssoni)
    
    Coregonus nipigon (Coregonus nipigon)
    
    Coregonus nobilis (Coregonus nobilis)
    
    Houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus)
    
    Coregonus palaea (Coregonus palaea)
    
    Coregonus pallasii (Coregonus pallasii)
    
    Gwyniad (Coregonus pennantii)
    
    Coregonus pravdinellus (Coregonus pravdinellus)
    
    Shortnose cisco (Coregonus reighardi)
    
    Coregonus renke (Coregonus renke)
    
    Coregonus restrictus (Coregonus restrictus)
    
    Schelly (Coregonus stigmaticus)
    
    Coregonus subautumnalis (Coregonus subautumnalis)
    
    Coregonus suidteri (Coregonus suidteri)
    
    Coregonus trybomi (Coregonus trybomi)
    
    Tugun (Coregonus tugun)
    
    Amur whitefish (Coregonus ussuriensis)
    
    Coregonus vandesius (Coregonus vandesius)
    
    Coregonus vessicus (Coregonus vessicus)
    
    Valaam whitefish (Coregonus widegreni)
    
    Shortjaw cisco (Coregonus zenithicus)
    
    Coregonus zuerichensis (Coregonus zuerichensis)
    
    Coregonus zugensis (Coregonus zugensis)
    
    Prosopium - North American whitefishes->
    
    Parahucho - Sakhalin taimen->
    
    Brachymystax - Lenoks->
    
    Stenodus - Nelma whitefish->
    
    Salvethymus - Salvethymus->
  - Siluriformes - Catfishes->
  - Scorpaeniformes - Mail-cheeked fishes->
  - Gasterosteiformes - Sticklebacks->
  - Gadiformes - Cods->
  - Anguilliformes - Eels and morays->
  - Clupeiformes - Herrings->
  - Syngnathiformes - Pipefishes and Seahorses->
  - Gobiiformes - Gobies->
  - Mugiliformes - Mullets->
  - Carangiformes - Jacks->
  - Beloniformes - Needlefishes->
  - Labriformes - Wrasses->
  - Scombriformes - Mackerels->
  - Mulliformes - Goatfishes->
  - Pleuronectiformes - Flatfishes->
  - Aulopiformes - Grinners->
  - Blenniiformes - Blennies->
  - Cyprinodontiformes - Toothcarps->
  - Osmeriformes - Smelts->
  - Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes->
  - Cichliformes - Cichlids->
  - Characiformes - Characins->
  - Osteoglossiformes - Bony tongues->
  - Elopiformes - Tarpons and tenpounders->
  - Anabantiformes - Gouramies and snakeheads->
  - Gymnotiformes - South American knifefish->
  - Istiophoriformes - Barracudas->
  - Albuliformes - Bonefishes->
  - Lepidogalaxiiformes - Salamanderfishes->
  - Lophiiformes - Anglerfishes->
  - Spariformes - Breams and porgies->
  - Trachiniformes - Weeverfishes->
  - Moroniformes - Temperate basses->
  - Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes->
  - Zeiformes - Dories->
  - Tetraodontiformes - Puffers and filefishes->
  - Holocentriformes - Squirrelfishes->
  - Dactylopteriformes - Flying gurnards->
  - Lampriformes - Lamprids->
  - Galaxiiformes - Southern smelts->
  - Batrachoidiformes - Toadfishes->
  - Hiodontiformes - Mooneyes->
  - Percopsiformes - Trout-perches->
  - Callionymiformes - Dragonets->
  - Atheriniformes - Silversides->
  - Notacanthiformes - Spiny eels->
  - Saccopharyngiformes - Swallowers and Gulpers->
  - Alepocephaliformes - Slickheads and tubeshoulders->
  - Gonorynchiformes - Milkfishes->
  - Argentiniformes - Marine smelts->
  - Stomiiformes - Lightfishes and dragonfishes->
  - Ateleopodiformes - Jellynose fishes->
  - Myctophiformes - Lanternfishes->
  - Stylephoriformes - Tube-eyes->
  - Polymixiiformes - Beardfishes->
  - Beryciformes - Sawbellies->
  - Trachichthyiformes - Rughies->
  - Ophidiiformes - Cusk-eels->
  - Kurtiformes - Nurseryfishes & Cardinalfishes->
  - Synbranchiformes - Swamp eels->
  - Gobiesociformes - Clingfishes->
  - Acropomatiformes - Oceanic basses->
- Cladistii - Bichirs->
- Dipneusti - Lungfishes->
- Chondrostei - Sturgeons->
- Holostei - Gars and Bowfins->
Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes->
Agnatha - Jawless fishes->