Whitefish are the most abandant group of fish north of the Alaska Range, inhabiting almost every type of river or freshwater habitat in this section of Alaska.

There are seven different types of white fish: Broad, Humpback, Pygmy, Round, Least Cisco, Bering Cisco, and Arctic Cisco.

The Broad and Humpback whitefish are referred to as true whitefish. In both species the mouth is underneath, an adaptation for bottom feeding. Their diet consists mainly of small clams, snails, aquatic insects larvae and freshwater shrimp. In both species the head is small and the body is large. The Broad whitefish can be distinguished from the Humpback by its large size.

In Alaska the Broad (Akakiik) whitefish is found in the Yukon and Kuskokwim River drainages and in the Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea and Arctic Ocean drainages. Spawning occurs in the fall with most fish spawning over a gravel bottom. The Humpback (Cingikeggliq) whitefish is distributed in all drainages north of the Alaska Range, as well as in those of the Copper and Susitna Rivers. At 4 - 5 years of age they start their first spawn. Spawning occurs in October usually over a gravel bottom. They get to about 22 inches and five pounds in eight years. Both the Broad and Humpback whitefish are important in the subsistence ecomony of Alaska Natives.

Round (Qaurtuq) and Pygmy whitefish both have rounded cigar-like bodies with tiny pointed snouts and single nasal flaps. In both species the upper jaw extends out over the lower jaw so the mouth is underneath. The young whitefish have parr marks that disappear in the second year of life. The Round whitefish grows up to 16 inches in length while Pygmy whitefish rarely reach eight inches.

The Least Cisco is a slender herring-like fish. Adults are brown to olive green and silvery below. They are found in lakes, streams and estuaries of the Bristol Bay drainage. At 4-6 years of age mature Least Cisco migrate upstream in the fall to spawn. They are very important in the food chain because other fish such as sheefish, pike and burbot eat them.

Arctic and Bering Ciscoes (Imarpinraq) are similar in appearance. They are easily distinguished from the Least Cisco by their smaller eyes and scales, more silvery color, white pectoral and pelvic fins and terminal mouths. Both these ciscoes feed on invertebrates and small fish. The Arctic Cisco is found in Arctic Alaska (from Barrow east), Canada and Siberia. Bering Cisco are found in the Bering Sea drainages of the Seward Peninsula, Norton Sound and in those of the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers.

Jackie Paul George