Shortnose cisco (Coregonus reighardi) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 9

Special Significance of the Species

The deepwater ciscoes of the Laurentian Great Lakes are the most notable of the few species endemic to the relatively young waterbodies of northern North America, and are believed to be one of a few examples of the incipient species flock concept in North America (Smith and Todd 1984). As endemic species, these ciscoes represent unique evolutionary and ecological processes. The Laurentian Great Lakes are no more than 18,000 years old (Dyke and Prest 1987); therefore, the endemic ciscoes have likely evolved in the Great Lakes within the last 18,000 years (Smith and Todd 1984). Changes in gill raker morphology (e.g. number, length) over time leading to different diets, have minimized competition between the endemic ciscoes (Smith and Todd 1984).The deepwater ciscoes, including shortnose cisco, were once a commercially important species in the Great Lakes.

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