What Are Some Arctic Freshwater Fish?
Whether you are planning a vacation to the Arctic, or you are simply interested in the type of freshwater fish that live there, reviewing a list of the fish and some of their characteristics is an interesting endeavor.
According to Wikipedia, there are 28 different species of fish swimming in the fresh waters of the Arctic. They are as follows:
- Alaska blackfish
- Alaska whitefish
- Arctic char
- Arctic cisco
- Arctic grayling
- Arctic lamprey
- Atlantic salmon
- Bering cisco
- Broad whitefish
- Burbot
- Chinook salmon
- Chum salom
- Cisco
- Coregonus artedi
- Inconnu
- Lake chub
- Lake sturgeon
- Lake trout
- Lake whitefish
- Least cisco
- Longnose sucker
- Muksun
- Ninespine stickleback
- Northern pike
- Pink salmon
- Pond smelt
- Rainbow smelt
- Round whitefish
- Slimy sculpin
- Spoonhead sculpin
- Three spined stickleback
- Twohorn sculpin
About These Species
Perhaps you have a keen interest in one of the freshwater species which we mentioned above. If that is the case, consider doing some more in-depth research on that species here on YourDictionary. Some of the details below may also provide some valuable information for you on these freshwater creatures of the Arctic.
Three Spined Stickleback
With a name like this, you are probably envisioning some sort of monstrous creature. In fact, these little fellows do not grow to be more than six to 10 centimeters long during their lifetime. However, they do have an armour of plates on their bodies.
Longnose Sucker
Here we have a creature that lives up to its name. They are a long species - up to two feet long - and the head of their bodies culminate in what is a fairly distinct nose for a fish.
Atlantic Salmon
This species is pretty popular and goes by a plethora of other names such as bay salmon and silver salmon. These salmon are quite large, and they feed on other big species such as the Arctic squid and the sand eels.
Inconnu
The Inconnu of the freshwater areas of the Arctic have a cousin dwelling in the Caspian Sea. These creatures can weigh up to 55 pounds, and they are usually silver in color.
Rainbow Smelt
Individuals living in the United States might catch glimpses of this fish as well, since it is found in the Great Lakes in addition to the Arctic waters. They are quite a popular fish for fisherman as well, and people fish for them both to sell them and for sport.
Northern Pike
This species is found in many different waters in the northern hemisphere, including the Arctic, North American, European, and Russian waters. The largest northern pike ever caught weighed in at 68 pounds and measured 58 inches long.
Slimy Sculpin
Quite the interesting looking creature, the slimy sculpin resembles a sea robin in some ways. Despite the fact that they live in the water, they are not very good at swimming. Therefore, they often fall prey to quicker critters of the sea.
Burbot
Here we have the only cod-like fish that lives in any freshwater at all. In addition to the cold waters of the Arctic, they are also found in the Great Lakes, particularly Lake Eerie.
Cisco
Researchers believe that this species has not been around for an incredibly long time, in comparison to other sorts of fish. In fact, the different types of ciscos have been fairly highly studied recently.