A native cylindrical whitefish of northern lakes. Often confused with lake whitefish but smaller and rounder. Less commercial value but ecologically important.

Also called: Round Whitefish, Frostfish, Menominee

Native status: Native to northern North America

§ Quick facts

SizeLength 25–50 cm
Weight250–800 g
LifespanWild 10–15 years
OrderSalmoniformes
FamilySalmonidae

§ Encyclopedia

The round whitefish is a freshwater species of fish that is found in North American drainages from Alaska to New England, including the Great Lakes except for Lake Erie, and in Arctic tributaries of northeast Asia, as well as northern Kamchatka Peninsula and the northern coasts of the Sea of Okhotsk. It has an olive-brown back with light silvery sides and underside and its length is generally between 9 and 19 inches. They are bottom feeders, feeding mostly on invertebrates, such as crustaceans, insect larvae, and fish eggs. Some other fish species, like white sucker in turn eat their eggs. Lake trout, northern pike and burbot are natural predators. Other common names of the round whitefish are Menominee, pilot fish, frost fish, round-fish, and Menominee whitefish. The common name "round whitefish" is also sometimes used to describe Coregonus huntsmani, a salmonid more commonly known as the Atlantic whitefish.

Source: Wikipedia — Round whitefish Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Slim cylindrical body (vs. compressed in Lake Whitefish); silvery color; small head; adipose fin.

Similar species. Lake Whitefish (deeper-bodied). Mountain Whitefish (terminal mouth). Cisco (different body shape).

Voice. Silent.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Aquatic insects, small crustaceans.

Behavior. Cylindrical (vs. deep-bodied) whitefish of northern North American lakes and rivers. Less commercially important than Lake Whitefish; supports subsistence and small commercial harvest. Sensitive to warming water; populations at southern edges of range are declining.

§ Range

Northern North American lakes

§ Habitat

Cold lakes and rivers

§ Threats

Sea lamprey predation, invasive mussels altering food webs, fishery impacts.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the round whitefish is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Support Great Lakes restoration. Don't intentionally release fish between waterways.

Support our work More ways to help

§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • American Fisheries Society
  • Great Lakes Fishery Commission
  • NatureServe
  • IUCN Red List 2014