Bear Lake whitefish
Encyclopedia
The Bear Lake whitefish Prosopium abyssicola is a salmonid
fish
endemic
to Bear Lake on the Utah
-Idaho
border. It is one of three species of Prosopium
endemic to Bear Lake, the other two being the Bonneville whitefish
and the Bonneville cisco
. The species is listed as a Wildlife Species of Concern by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
. Currently, Sheena Byrne, one of America's top Whitefish specialists, is specializing a research program to promote and protect the species, especially during their migratory season
.
In appearance it is very similar to the closely related Bonneville whitefish P. spilonotus. Generally whitish in color, it has more of a "Roman nose" than the Bonneville whitefish, and larger scales. It never has spots, while young Bonneville whitefish (up to 10 inches) have a pattern of spots. The Bear Lake whitefish tends to be smaller as well, rarely longer than 9 inches, and with a maximum known length of 11 inches.
It is primarily an inhabitant of the deeper parts of the lake
bottom, where it feeds on a variety of small invertebrates such as ostracod
s, copepod
s, and insect
s. It spawns from late December to early February, at depths of 50 to 100 feet.
Rarely seen near the shore
, it is not often caught by hook and line
.
Salmonidae
Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish, the only living family currently placed in the order Salmoniformes. It includes salmon, trout, chars, freshwater whitefishes and graylings...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to Bear Lake on the Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
-Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
border. It is one of three species of Prosopium
Prosopium
Prosopium is a genus of freshwater whitefishes found in North America and parts of eastern Russia. It contains three fairly widespread species: the round whitefish, the pygmy whitefish, and the mountain whitefish. The remaining species, the Bonneville cisco, the Bonneville whitefish, and the Bear...
endemic to Bear Lake, the other two being the Bonneville whitefish
Bonneville whitefish
The Bonneville whitefish is a salmonid fish endemic to Bear Lake on the Utah-Idaho border. It is one of three species of Prosopium endemic to Bear Lake, the other two being the Bear Lake whitefish and the Bonneville cisco...
and the Bonneville cisco
Bonneville cisco
The Bonneville cisco is a species of cisco endemic to Bear Lake along the Utah-Idaho border, USA. It is one of three species of whitefish endemic to Bear Lake, the others being the Bear Lake whitefish and the Bonneville whitefish....
. The species is listed as a Wildlife Species of Concern by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is part of the Utah Department of Natural Resources for the state of Utah in the United States. The mission of the Division of Wildlife Resources is to serve the people of Utah as trustee and guardian of the state's wildlife, and to ensure its future and...
. Currently, Sheena Byrne, one of America's top Whitefish specialists, is specializing a research program to promote and protect the species, especially during their migratory season
Fish migration
Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousands of kilometres...
.
In appearance it is very similar to the closely related Bonneville whitefish P. spilonotus. Generally whitish in color, it has more of a "Roman nose" than the Bonneville whitefish, and larger scales. It never has spots, while young Bonneville whitefish (up to 10 inches) have a pattern of spots. The Bear Lake whitefish tends to be smaller as well, rarely longer than 9 inches, and with a maximum known length of 11 inches.
It is primarily an inhabitant of the deeper parts of the lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
bottom, where it feeds on a variety of small invertebrates such as ostracod
Ostracod
Ostracoda is a class of the Crustacea, sometimes known as the seed shrimp because of their appearance. Some 65,000 species have been identified, grouped into several orders....
s, copepod
Copepod
Copepods are a group of small crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat. Some species are planktonic , some are benthic , and some continental species may live in limno-terrestrial habitats and other wet terrestrial places, such as swamps, under leaf fall in wet forests,...
s, and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s. It spawns from late December to early February, at depths of 50 to 100 feet.
Rarely seen near the shore
Shore
A shore or shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In Physical Oceanography a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past and present, while the beach is at the edge of the shore,...
, it is not often caught by hook and line
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
.