Maraena whitefish (Coregonus maraena)

Scientific name: Coregonus maraena Bloch, 1779

Maraena whitefish (Coregonus maraena)

The Maraena whitefish (Coregonus maraena) is a freshwater fish of the family Salmonidae.

Biology

Forages along coasts and spawns in freshened parts of estuaries or in lower stretches of rivers. Also reported from deep, oligo-mesotrophic lakes. Feeds on benthic prey (crustaceans, molluscs, large insect larvae, small fish). Spawns for the 1st time at 3-5 years. Spawns in shallow water, in rapids or small rivers or over firm sediments in lowland rivers and estuaries. Spawners overwinter in river or at sea very close to estuaries. Some females spawn every second year. Eggs are buried in unguarded nests. Eggs hatch in early spring and drift to sea or to estuarine bays. Juveniles migrate to sea and may migrate up to 700 km from spawning river to forage at sea. Northernmost stocks undertake the longest migrations between spawning and foraging grounds. Status of threat: Only few natural populations left. Most natural populations declined because of pollution, dams and weirs blocking access to spawning rivers, and overfishing. Apparent abundance in Ge

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Coregonus maraena
Family
Salmonidae (Salmonids)
Order
Salmoniformes (Salmons)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
130
Environment
Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Europe: In the Baltic Sea: Swedish coast (including Bothnian Gulf, not in Gotland); in southern Baltic, extending from River Schlei to Gulf of Finland. Southeastern North Sea Basin: Ems, Weser and Elbe drainages and small rivers of Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark. Landlocked in Lake Miedwie and other lakes in Poland, Lake V?ttern, V?nern, M?laren, Siljan (Sweden), Ladoga (Russia) and others. Introduced and transplanted in many drainages within its native range and outside westward to Rhine drainage.. Usually known as C. lavaretus in the Baltic Sea basin. North Sea population might represent a distinct species.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Vulnerable (VU) (A2cd)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquaculture: commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=2-3)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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