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Population Structure of European Whitefish Coregonus lavaretus (Salmonidae: Coregoninae) from the Lake–River System of the Subpolar Urals

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Abstract

This paper presents the first description of the population structure of sparsely rakered whitefish Coregonus lavaretus, which lives in the mountain lake–river system of the middle reaches of the Maly Patok River (a second order tributary of the Pechora River). It has been established that European whitefish has formed a complex system of local groups here, which are associated with small lakes of different types, located on the catchment area of this river. A relatively isolated whitefish lacustrine group, which differs in the pattern of the population dynamics and a rapid linear growth of individuals, has been formed in one of the water bodies. There is a temporary aggregation of whitefish in a small endorheic lake, which is recruited only in years with a very high water level during floods. The results of the study of the linear growth indicate the interrelationship between different groups of floodplain–river whitefish from the Maly Patok River basin.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to the management of OJSC Gazpromtransgaz Ukhta for the transport support of the research works.

Funding

This study was performed as part of the State Assignment no. 122040600025-2 “Fauna Diversity and Spatial and Ecological Structure of the Animal Population in the European North-East of Russia and Adjacent Territories under Conditions of Environmental Change and Economic Development.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biology, Komi Science Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar, Russia

    E. I. Boznak & V. I. Ponomarev

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  1. E. I. Boznak
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  2. V. I. Ponomarev
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Correspondence to E. I. Boznak.

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Сonflict of interests. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Translated by D. Zabolotny

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Boznak, E.I., Ponomarev, V.I. Population Structure of European Whitefish Coregonus lavaretus (Salmonidae: Coregoninae) from the Lake–River System of the Subpolar Urals. J. Ichthyol. 63, 950–961 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S003294522305003X

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