Species Of Fish In Alberta
One indicator of how healthy an ecosystem is the biological diversity. In healthy environments you will surely find a high diversity. A diverse community also indicates the stability of the environment which will probably be able to face unexpected environments changes. In Alberta, we can notice the biological diversity, especially regarding the fish species. In Alberta we can find 62 species of fish from which about 41 species are very little known while the other 21 species of fish are called sport or game fish, and are of interest commercial and domestic fishers as well as to anglers. 16 of these appreciated fish species are native to Alberta and 5 were introduced to this area through stocking. Brook trout, golden trout, brown trout, Dolly Varden and smallmouth bass are the five species of game fish that have been introduced to Alberta. On the other hand, there are some fish species (non-game) that were illegally introduced and that developed self sustain populations, including:
-goldfish in Henderson Lake in Lethbridge and the ; -threespine stickleback in Hasse Lake; In the next few lines we will present you four well known Alberta fish species: · The Brook Trout The brook trout was the first in Canada to be extensively pursued by anglers for sport. Regrettably, this fish type was pursued too aggressively and widely in Alberta. Over fishing, pollution as well as introductions of Brown and Rainbow Trout has brutally reduced the native Brook Trout's range. Of course, the general encroachment of civilization in Alberta had also had a bad influence in this case. Compared with most other Trout species, the Brook Trout doesn't get very big. In Alberta lakes you will find such fishes up to 10 pounds but not more. Still, you should know that heir average size is much smaller and depends of various factors including habitat, longevity, genetics, as well as the population density in a given Alberta lake. In a great majority of cases, the caught Brookies have between 6 and 8 inches. If you will ever catch a brookie which has 12 inches or more you should prize it. In a good number of Alberta ponds and lakes, a 2-pound Brook Trout is rare. The Brook Trout has yellowish, worm-like markings running along its back, on a dark greenish background. Along the flanks of the Brook Trout there are many pale yellow spots and a few red spots surrounded by blue halos. Throughout the fall spawning period, the lower flanks of Brook Trout males turn a brilliant red-orange. · Mountain Whitefish This fish species is native to most of the lakes of Western Alberta. It has large scales, no spots and small mouths with no teeth. In general , the body color is a bronze-white or greenish white. If you ever go in Alberta, you may notice that the fishermen from there call this fish Rocky Mountain whitefish. · Rainbow Trout This fish species can be clearly identified by the facts that it can actually "jump" of the water. In what concerns its aspect it has a reddish stripe along its sides from the gill cover to the tail. You will love this type of fish because it is usually easier to catch than Brown Trout and also because a rainbow trout fights and jump of the water before giving up. · Northern Pike The northern pike is a fish species also called "jackfish". In Alberta, we can find northern pike fishes up to 22 kg. It is a slender fish with sharp, backward-slanting teeth, duck-like jaws and a long, flat head. Its back and sides are predominantly dark to olive-green, with yellow to white spots. Because of a tiny gold spot found on the tip of most scales, the pike appears flecked with gold. |
