The history and ecology of Cisco Coregonus artedi in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Abstract

Cisco Coregonus artedi are a schooling, coldwater, zooplanktivorous fish native to the northern United States and Canada. They were once one of the most abundant fish species in the region, supporting large commercial fisheries in all five of the Great Lakes. Overfishing, habitat degradation, and impacts from invasive species such as Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax and Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus lead to the collapse of these fisheries by the mid 1900’s. Recently, there has been an increased momentum for restoring Cisco populations in the Great Lakes due to their role as native prey fish species for predators such as Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush and Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar. Here I present a general overview of Cisco biology, detail the history of the commercial fishery in the Great Lakes, and look ahead to future restoration and recovery goals.

Keywords:

• native species
• fishing
• spawning behavior
• life history
• restoration