Where does the Shortnose Cisco live?
The Shortnose Cisco occurred in clear, cold, deepwater habitats in lakes Huron, Michigan and Ontario ranging in depths from 22 m to 110 m (COSEWIC 2005). Its diet consisted primarily of the freshwater crustaceans Mysis diluviana (formerly Mysis relicta) and Diporeia spp.
Why is the Shortnose Cisco endangered?
What threatens it. Ontario’s Shortnose Cisco population was greatly reduced by overfishing and possibly by competition or predation by exotic (non-native) species.
When did the Shortnose Cisco go extinct?
The shortnose cisco was endemic to lakes Huron, Michigan and Ontario (Koelz 1929, Todd 1980, Scott and Crossman 1998) (Figure 2). As it was last recorded in Lake Huron in 1985, Lake Michigan in 1982 and in Lake Ontario in 1964, it is currently believed to be extinct (Webb and Todd 1995).
What kind of fish is the shortnose cisco?
The shortnose cisco ( Coregonus reighardi) is a North American freshwater whitefish in the salmon family Salmonidae. One of the members of the broader Coregonus artedi species complex of ciscoes, it is native to the Great Lakes of Canada and the United States.
Is there any way to recover a shortnose cisco?
Without individuals capable of reproduction, there is presently no recovery technique that could be applied to the Shortnose Cisco. Given that all of the criteria in the above analysis cannot be met, and in particular, the lack of reproductive potential, recovery for the Shortnose Cisco is deemed not feasible.
When did shortnose cisco become endangered in Canada?
In 1987, the Shortnose Cisco (Coregonus reighardi) was assessed as “Threatened” by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). In 2005, on the basis of an update status report, the species was reassessed by COSEWIC as “Endangered” and subsequently listed as such under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) in 2007.
Why did the shortnose cisco die in the Great Lakes?
Although not specifically documented for the Shortnose Cisco, ecosystem changes in the Great Lakes, including the introduction of exotic species and hybridization with other co-occurring deepwater ciscoes, may have contributed to the demise of the species. These ecosystem changes can neither be avoided nor mitigated at this time.