Round Whitefish
Prosopium cylindraceum
Status
The round whitefish ranges widely throughout North America. and into
northeastern Asia. In our province it occurs only in Labrador. These fish can
grow to a maximum size of 22 inches, 4.5 pounds.
Habitat
Shallow areas (usually less than 150 ft.(46m)) of lakes and clear
streams. Rarely in brackish (salty) waters.
Food
This whitefish is a bottom feeder and as such eats
a variety of benthic (bottom) invertebrates including mayfly larva, caddisfly
larva, and small molluscs such as finger nail clams and snails. They may also
feed on the eggs of other fish species such as lake trout.
Appearance
Brown to bronze above, dark-edged scales,
silver-white sides, amber lower fins, dusky dorsal(back) fin and tail fins.
Fairly pointed snout.
Breeding Biology
The spawning period for this animal occurs in the fall of the year on
gravelly shoals in lakes or at the mouths of rivers at temperatures of 4.60C.
Males usually arrive on the spawning grounds before the females. Neither males
of females eat before or during spawning activities. During spawning fish swim
in pairs, but like other whitefish no care is given to the eggs or the young.
Females can carry between 2 000 to 11 000 eggs depending on body size. Eggs take
roughly 140 days to hatch.
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