White Sturgeon (Pacific Sturgeon) Acipenser transmontanus

White Sturgeon (Pacific Sturgeon) Acipenser transmontanus

            The largest North American Sturgeon at a maximum of 20 feet its greatest depth is about 14% of the total length. Its eyes are small and the snout of an adult is short and compressed with a wide toothless mouth. Instead of scales the sturgeon is covered with isolated rows of large bony plates. A lighter grey, pale olive, or grey-brown often speckled with white moving to grey or white on the belly characterize the colouring. Found on the Pacific shores of North America near most coastal drainages including the Fraser River system, Stuart Lakes, Taku Lakes, Kooteny Lake and river, Columbia River, Duncan Lake, And Vancouver Island. Although it is land locked in the upper Columbia River it is anadromous in most other large rivers. Can live over 100 years. The flesh is highly acceptable as food and often the eggs are marketed as caviar. Generally the sturgeon is netted with salmon.

Lake Whitefish- Conegomus clupeaformus

Lake Whitefish- Conegomus clupeaformus

The average length is 15 inches and seldom weighs more than 15 pounds with 2 pounds the most common. The overall colouration is silvery with pale greenish brown to light or dark brown back. The lake whitefish is the most valuable commercial freshwater fish in Canada. White fish eggs are sometimes sold as caviar.

Rocky Mountain Whitefish (grayling) Prosopium Wilhamaoni

Rocky Mountain Whitefish (grayling) Prosopium Wilhamaoni

            The Rocky Mountain whitefish maintains an average length of 8-12 inches and the world record is 4 pounds7ounces. The overall colouration is silvery with light or dark brown or olive on the back. This species occurs only in the lakes and streams of Western North America. It is wide spread in western Alberta and in British Columbia from the Fraser and Columbia River systems throughout the pacific coastal drainages of the Bella Coola, Skena, Nass and Stikine systems. The maximum age of this bottom feeder is 17-18 years.