Name
- Common name: Broad Whitefish
- Scientific name: Coregonus nasus
- Order: Salmoniformes
- Sub-family: Coregoninae
- Indigenous names for this species may be available through the Yukon Native Language Centre.
Viewing opportunities
- Watch for fins breaking the water as whitefish patrol shallow mud and sand flats throughout the summer.
- Look for these fish in streams, at the mouths of tributaries and below rapids.
Description
- This species got its name from its flattened sides and compressed body.
- Short head with a small mouth and very blunt overhanging snout.
- Large adipose fin and deeply forked caudal fin.
- Adults have a brown or blackish coloured back and yellowish or silvery belly.
Fast facts
- Length: 35 to 50 cm
- Weight: 0.5 to 3.0 kg
- Habitat: Lakes, rivers and streams; occasionally in brackish waters
Conservation status
- Yukon: S4 (Apparently Secured)
- Global: G5 (Secure)
Yukon population estimate
Not determined.
Behaviour
Very little is known about the life history of Broad Whitefish in the Yukon. Some river populations may be anadromous, meaning they are born in freshwater, then migrate to the ocean where they mature, before returning to freshwater to spawn.
Diet
Aquatic insects, molluscs, crustaceans, and small fish.
Distribution
Whitefish and people
- Whitefish have always been an important part of Yukon First Nation diet.
- Anglers will find this fish has a fine flavour and is exciting to catch.