Population Structure of European Whitefish Coregonus lavaretus (Salmonidae: Coregoninae) from the Lake–River System of the Subpolar Urals

Abstract

This paper presents the first description of the population structure of sparsely rakered whitefish Coregonus lavaretus, which lives in the mountain lake–river system of the middle reaches of the Maly Patok River (a second order tributary of the Pechora River). It has been established that European whitefish has formed a complex system of local groups here, which are associated with small lakes of different types, located on the catchment area of this river. A relatively isolated whitefish lacustrine group, which differs in the pattern of the population dynamics and a rapid linear growth of individuals, has been formed in one of the water bodies. There is a temporary aggregation of whitefish in a small endorheic lake, which is recruited only in years with a very high water level during floods. The results of the study of the linear growth indicate the interrelationship between different groups of floodplain–river whitefish from the Maly Patok River basin.