Lake Whitefish

Latin Name

Coregonus clupeaformis

Group Name

Freshwater

Taxonomy details

Habitat

Lake whitefish are freshwater fish native to Canada and the northern United States. They occur in lakes and rivers all across Canada, from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia, in the Great Lakes and throughout the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon. Lake whitefish prefer cool water and live mostly in large lakes and rivers.

Species Description

Lake whitefish are related to salmon and bear many similarities to them. They are relatively elongated, with a small head and a body ending in a forked tail. Older fish may have a hump behind their head. Covered with large scales, lake whitefish are silver on their sides and greenish-brown to almost black dorsally, with a silvery-white underside. Their fins are typically transparent or light-coloured, but are darker in specimens from northern regions. Lake whitefish can grow to about 50 centimetres in length and weigh up to two kilograms.