Freshwater whitefish

Heringsmaräne (Coregonus clupeaformis )

The Coregonidae or Coregoninae ( Renken and relatives ) are a family of salmon -like ( Salmoniformes ) or a subfamily of trout (Salmonidae ). There are mostly herring -like fish with a slender, laterally flattened, narrow mouth and little or reset formed teeth. They occur in freshwater in the north of North America, North and Central Europe and northern Asia. The greatest diversity of species living in Siberia.

Features

Coregoniden have large scales that sit in contrast to the herring -like but firm. You have less than 110 scales along the lateral line clearly visible. The short dorsal fin is supported by less than 16 fin rays. The pelvic fins sit low ( ventral), the caudal fin is forked or much indented. The maxilla is edentulous, the vomer bears small teeth or edentulous. A Orbitosphenoid ( skull bone ) is present, a Suprapräoperculare (bone of the gill cover ) is missing. Coregoniden are monochrome gray, whitish or brown.

Way of life

Among the Coregoniden there are migratory fish in flowing waters and brackish coastal areas and stationary forms in stagnant freshwater. All are in need of oxygen and prefer cold waters. They feed on plankton and benthic invertebrates, the White Salmon ( Stenodus leucichthys ) of smaller fish. Coregoniden spawn usually in late autumn or winter. The development time of the eggs is usually three to four months.

Genera

There are three genera with about 70 species, numerous subspecies and local forms:

• Coregonus Linnaeus, 1758
• Prosopium Jordan, 1878
• Stenodus Richardson, 1836

Many types bastardisieren together.

System

The Coregoniden be classified in most classifications as a subfamily of the trout (Salmonidae ), in recent publications, but increasingly as a separate family within the salmon -like ( Salmoniformes ).

The following cladogram shows the systematic position of the Coregoniden:

Coregoniden

Trout fish i.e., S. ( Salmoninae )

Grayling ( Thymallinae )