Lake
Whitefish
 Coregonus clupeaformis
Status
This fish species is native to Labrador. It was also introduced to
Hogans Pond on the Avalon Peninsula in 1886.
Habitat
The lake white fish is a cool water species, They
are a schooling fish that prefers open waters. In deep lakes they can often be
found near the bottom of the lake.
Range
Found in all Provinces in Canada.
Food
The diet of the white fish consists of molluscs ( snails and clams),
insect larva, amphipods, leeches and sometimes small fish. The lake whitefish is
a principle food source for pike, lake trout and burbot.
Breeding Biology
Spawning for this animal occurs in the fall
usually during November or December, when waters reach roughly 7.80C.
In very cold areas such as Labrador it has been suggested that these animals may
only spawn once every 2 to 3 years. Spawning usually occurs in shallow waters at
depths no greater then 25 feet. Spawning substrate is normally a rocky bottom or
shoals. The number of eggs released by a female during the spawning period
varies in accordance with the animals size, and the latitude from where the
female is taken (anywhere between 8 000 to 16,000). Eggs are deposited randomly
over the spawning grounds. Spawning usually occurs at night with white fish both
males and females forming large schools. Eggs take 140 days to hatch.
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