General

Correct identification (ID) of juvenile fish in the Yukon will help resource managers improve the accuracy of information on the distribution and status of rearing juvenile fish stocks. This handbook and website focuses on the identification of juvenile fish in the Yukon and has been designed for a user with no previous fish ID experience. Included are: a juvenile fish identification criteria or flowchart, black and white drawings, and, colour photographs to help users ID different species of juvenile fish. Also included on this website are sections on: basic fish sampling considerations, fish sampling equipment, handling techniques, data collection, helpful things like species abbreviations for documentation, connections to other resources, links and a glossary of big words and strange terms. These basic considerations will help users sample juvenile fish efficiently and effectively with while being respectful to individual fish.

This report is meant to accompany a website www.juvenilefishid.com and provide the basis for the downloadable handbook found on this site. Future updates to this website and downloadable handbook are expected to be conducted from time to time. Submissions from the public and the scientific community are very welcome. Photos, comments, and any information related to the study of juvenile fish can be forwarded via info@juvenilefishid.com Information will be incorporated into future updates of the website and handbook. The contents of this handbook are meant to assist other community-base projects with the identification of juvenile fish, and we have purposely attempted to simplify identification as much as possible. The information contained herein is intended for distribution to community groups.

Scope

To date there are 35 known species of fish in the Yukon Territory. Information for 26 of these species are provided in the handbook and on the website. There can be differences in appearances between fish species in different river systems and water qualities and their physical features change as they grow. Because there are many characteristics for each species, we have provided a basic step-by-step identification chart using the most distinguishing features and characteristics.

We have chosen to exclude 9 species of fish from our website. These fish excluded are: squanga whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis pop.), bering cisco (Coregonus laurettae), arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis), rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), boreal smelt (Osmerus eperlanus), spoonhead sculpin (Cottus ricei), longnose dace (Rhyinichthys cataractae), trout-perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus) and flathead chub (Platygobio gracilis). These fish are presently excluded from the handbook/website as they are either uncommon, rare or have only been identified once in the Yukon. An example of this is the bering cisco. The bering cisco has only ever been identified once in the Yukon Territory, in the Yukon River near Dawson City in 1972.

Fish that are currently incorporated in the juvenile identification website/handbook include: arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus), arctic lamprey (Lampetra japonica), broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus), burbot (Lota lota), chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), dolly varden/bull trout/arctic char (Salvelinus malma, S. confluentes, S. alpinus), inconnu (Stenodus leucichthys), lake chub (Couesius plumbeus), lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), least cisco (Coregonus sardinella), longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus), ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius), northern pike (Esox lucius), pygmy whitefish (Prosopium coulteri), rainbow trout/steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss, O. mykiss pop.), round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum), slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus), sockeye/kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka), white sucker (Catostomus commersoni).

Periodic updates to the information contained in this handbook and website are expected. Notes include key features for each species, known distribution or drainage systems that each species utilize, and, other helpful notes that are included to assist with classification. Colour photos are included in his handbook/website where possible, as well as detailed technical drawings. For our purposes, we are focusing on “juvenile” fish under 100-120mm in length.

Taxonomy and Classification

All living and extinct organisms, including all species of fish, can have many different names to assist in classifying them, examples include: common names, traditional or First Nation’s names, and, scientific names. An example of a common name is chinook or king salmon. Its scientific name is Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and its First Nation name in the Hän language is Luk Cho. Scientific names are always seen italicized or underlined. In this handbook and website common and scientific names are used for each species of juvenile fish. We would like to include First Nations names in different native languages in future versions.

Identification Procedures

Identification of juvenile fish is no easy task. When you first see them they all seem to look the same: small and silvery. It takes a lot of practice to accurately ID juvenile fish. There are even experienced biologists who get stumped from time to time. We have provided a basic ID chart to help the user identify fish in the Yukon Territory. The user will find paths in the flowchart to differentiate types of fish. If you have trouble identifying fish, record it as ‘unknown’ or try to identify the species as far as you confidently can. If you can’t ID the individual fish such as, coho or longnose sucker, try to record the type of fish such as, salmon or sucker. If, for example, you cannot differentiate between lake whitefish and broad whitefish (and don’t feel bad – this is very hard to do!), record the sample as “unidentified coregonus species”. Any bit of accurate information is helpful for resource management.

General characteristics used to differentiate or identify fry are: (1) FINS – Size, shape and colouring of dorsal, caudal, and anal fins. Are there spots or pigmentation on fins? Where is the placement of the fin in relation to the body? More detailed would be: counting the number of fin rays present. Is there an adipose fin present? Fish from the salmonid family have an adipose fin, while most others don’t. (2) PARR MARKS or “False Parr” – Are there parr marks or “false parr” present? Salmonids have parr marks that act as camouflage and some whitefish have “false” parr marks, while others don’t. Are the parr marks regular or irregularly shaped? What is the length and width of the parr marks and what is the position of the marks in relation to the rest of the body? (3) MOUTH – location and type of opening. Does the mouth open straight out the front, or terminally? Does it open downwards towards the underside of the fish, or subterminally? (4) EYE – Size and position in relation to rest of body or head. (5) OTHER – when people really want to differentiate between fish species, especially when they are very similar fish to classify (such as round whitefish and pygmy whitefish, or chinook and coho) then researchers may look at internal features such as, counting gill rakers, pyloric ceacea or branchiostegal rays, and, they may take DNA samples.

Sampling Rules and Regulations

Please be aware you may need to obtain a sampling permit, or a scientific collection license from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and YTG Environment to capture juvenile fish for identification purposes. The transportation or preservation of fish may also require a permit. If you are unsure whether you need a permit or what permits are required, please contact DFO and/or YTG directly at:

Attn: Mr. Al von Finster Senior Habitat Biologist Fisheries and Oceans Canada 100-419 Range Road, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A-3V1 (867) 393-6721 vonFinsterA@PAC.DFO-MPO.GC.CA

Attn: Susan Thompson Fisheries Biologist Department of Environment Government of Yukon Box 2703 Whitehorse, YT, Y1A-2C6 (867) 667-5199 Susan.Thompson@gov.yk.ca

 

Forms available online via:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/yukon/licensingscience.htm

Intro Notes

Please refer to Appendices for DFO’s current Gee trapping protocols, species codes and other helpful files.
Notes on Parr marks: Are the dark spots along the fish’s lateral line bar-shaped, or oval, and (despite whether the marks themselves are faint), are the edges of these marks distinct? Parr on pacific salmon are dark and bar-shaped, and the edges of these marks are quite distinct – they do not tend to blend into the background colour of fish. The “false parr” on round or pygmy whitefish are dark spots along the lateral line, but the edges of these marks tend to fade into the background colour of the fish and are not very distinct.