Name
- Common name: Inconnu
- Scientific name: Stenodus leucichthys
- Order: Salmoniformes
- Subfamily: Coregoninae
- Indigenous names for this species may be available through the Yukon Native Language Centre.
Also known as
Coney, Sheefish
Viewing opportunities
- Inconnu are found in large lakes and rivers in the Yukon, Pelly, Stewart and Porcupine river systems.
Description
- Large mouth and numerous small teeth
- Lower jaw is longer than the upper jaw, unlike other members of the whitefish family
- Elongated body; large scales
- Silvery colour with green, blue, or brown on back
- Dorsal and caudal fins have dusky margins; other fins are pale
Fast facts
- Length: 30 to 100 centimetres
- Weight: 2 to 10 kilograms
- Habitat: Freshwater and anadromous
Conservation status
- Yukon: S4 (Apparently Secure)
- Global: G5 (Secure)
Yukon population estimate
Not determined.
Behaviour
Very little is known of the life history of Inconnu in the Yukon, though it's the largest and fastest growing whitefish species. Some river population may be anadromous and migrate as far as 1,500 kilometres to spawn. They spend adulthood in muddy rivers, lakes and estuaries, but spawn in later summer and autumn in tributary streams.
Diet
Aquatic insects, crustaceans and fish
Distribution
Inconnu and people
- This fish was dubbed “poisson inconnu” or "unknown fish" by explorer Alexander Mackenzie’s voyageurs in the 19th century.