WHITEFISH : BROAD

ENVIRONMENT YUKON

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WHITEFISH : BROAD
Coregonus nasus (Pallas). Flattened sides and a compressed body have resulted in this whitefish species being given the name "broad whitefish". The head is short and the snout blunt. Adults have a large adipose fin and a deeply forked tail fin. During fall spawning, the large scales become covered with white conical tubercles, especially on the males. Adults have a brown or blackish coloured back and yellowish or silvery belly. Commercially caught broad whitefish are 3-5 pounds in weight although much heavier fish do exist. They are found mostly in rivers, but sometimes in lakes. As evidenced by their blunt snouts, broad whitefish are bottom feeders, feeding mainly on molluscs and aquatic insect larvae. In the Yukon, broad whitefish are more important for local consumption than for commercial purposes.