Biology and Management of Coregonid Fishes, 2005

Book excerpt: Coregonids (whitefish, vendace, cisco, etc.) are cold-water adapted fishes common throughout the Holarctic in North America, Europe and Asia. They have evolved into a myriad of forms, subspecies and species during and after the Pleistocene glaciations. They are therefore rich subjects for the study of evolutionary problems. Coregonids support important commercial, subsistence and recreational fisheries and are the subject of significant aquaculture operations around the world. Although coregonids are generally considered to be fairly adaptable to the pressures of exploitation, they do appear to be sensitive to changing environmental conditions such as eutrophication and a number of populations and species have been extirpated, usually by deteriorating environments coupled with the introduction of exotic species and by commercial exploitation. This sizeable volume contains 40 peer-reviewed contributions on current topics of coregonid research presented at the Ninth International Symposium on the Biology and Management of Coregonid Fishes, held in August 2005, in Olsztyn, Poland. They cover all aspects of coregonid life and managment. The contributions can be grouped into of five subject areas: genetics and evolution; biology, life history and population dynamics; invasive species; fisheries in Europe and fisheries in North America