WHITEFISH, Coregonus tabus (see ConEooNus). a fish of the family salmonida, of the same genus with the gwyniad, vendace, powan, pollan; etc. It is found in the lakes and large rivers of North America, from the St. Lawrence and its tributaries to the Arctic regions, and is one of the most valuable of American freshwater fishes, abounding over a great extent of country, and being excellent for the table. It is the attihaienteg of the north-western Indians. The body is elongated but thick, the head small and the muzzle pointed, the tail forked, the scales large. The mouth is destitute of teeth. It sometimes attains a length of two feet and a half, and weighs ten pounds. It is bluish-gray on the back, lighter on the sides, and white below. It spawns in Octo ber, proceeding ,from the lakes up the rivers for this purpose. It usually swims in shoals, like its small British congeners. It feeds chiefly on insects and entomostraca.
It is caught by nets, which are often spread under the ice, and the fishery is attended with much labor and exposure. The Indians sometimes spear it through holes in the ice. The whitefish forms the principal food of many Indian tribes and of the fur-traders during great part of the year. It is often salted by them. The flesh is bluish-white, changing to a pure white when boiled, whence the name. The most southern lake in which the whitefish is found is lake Champlain. No fresh-water fish better deserves to be made the subject of piscicultural experiments than the whitefish, and its acclimati zation in Britain would probably be as easy as it is desirable.—An allied species, the OTSEGO WIDTEFISII (C. Otsego), found in lake is also of exquisite flavor; but it is now rare.