Humpback Whitefish

Coregonus pidschian

Salmonidae · freshwater and saltwater and brackish water fish

1 minute read · Species guide

Humpback Whitefish field guide illustration

About Humpback Whitefish

The humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian), also referred to as the bottom whitefish, the Arctic whitefish or the pidschian, is a species of freshwater whitefish with a northern distribution. It is one of the members in the broader common whitefish complex, or the Coregonus clupeaformis complex. This fish lives in estuaries and brackish water near river mouths, in deltas and in slowly running rivers, in large lakes with tributaries, and floodplain lakes. It can migrate long distances upriver for spawning.

The distribution of Coregonus pidschian is in the Arctic basin, ranging from Northern Norway and Finland across the Russian coast to Alaska and up to the Mackenzie River drainage in North-West Canada. It is also found in the Okhotsk Sea basin.

Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Humpback whitefish (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Range

Where it lives

Share of 139 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 2 states.
0%
77%
Share of 139 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 2 states.

Share of records by state

Habitat

Water and movement

Water
WoRMS records this species in fresh water, brackish water and the sea.
Migration
Migratory
Pattern
Disagreement
3 published references do not agree on the pattern: Anadromous, Potamodromous. The site shows every assignment rather than picking one.

Classification

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Superclass
Actinopterygii
Class
Teleostei
Order
Salmoniformes
Genus
Coregonus
Species
Coregonus pidschian
ITIS TSN
161937
WoRMS AphiaID
254568
GBIF key
2351053
Outside the US
ITIS also files it in Canada.

Common questions about Humpback Whitefish

What is the scientific name of Humpback Whitefish?
The scientific name is Coregonus pidschian, in the family Salmonidae. Classification follows ITIS.
Does Humpback Whitefish live in fresh water or salt water?
WoRMS records this species in fresh water, brackish water and the sea.
Where has Humpback Whitefish been recorded in the United States?
GBIF has observations in 2 states, with the most records in Alaska, Michigan. The map shows observation records, which do not establish the complete natural range.

Closest relatives

Other Coregonus species

Same family

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All 44 species in Salmonidae