Powan

Powan
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Salmoniformes
Family: Salmonidae
Genus: Coregonus
Species:
C. clupeoides
Binomial name
Coregonus clupeoides
Synonyms[2]
  • Coregonus cepedii Valenciennes, 1848
  • Coregonus lacepedei Parnell, 1838
  • Coregonus microcephalus Parnell, 1838

The powan (Coregonus clupeoides) is a kind of freshwater whitefish endemic to two lochs in Scotland, Loch Lomond and Loch Eck.[1] It has been successfully introduced in two other sites, Loch Sloy and the Carron Valley Reservoir.[3]

Powan populations are relatively healthy,[1] but may have been negatively impacted by the introduced ruffe, which eats powan eggs and fry. As a conservation action, an attempt to establish populations in four additional lochs has been undertaken.[4][5]

The taxonomic status of the British whitefish populations, including powan, is a matter of debate. Currently the Scottish powan, along with the Welsh gwyniad known from a single lake, and four similar populations in England known as schelly, are generally considered belonging to the widespread Eurasian common whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).[3][6] This accords with the close genetic similarity among these units,[7] and the absence of clear morphological differences between them.[8] FishBase and the IUCN continue to recognize the Scottish powan as a distinct species, Coregonus clupeoides.[1][9]

  1. ^ a b c d Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008). "Coregonus clupeoides". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T135566A4146283. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135566A4146283.en. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Coregonus clupeoides Lacepède, 1803". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Vendace and Powan: the Coregonids". Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba (Scottish Nature Heritage). Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  4. ^ "Powan project to ensure survival of rare UK fish species". fishnewseu.com. 9 February 2010.
  5. ^ "Hundreds of rare powan fish to be released into Loch Lomond in conservation effort". news.scotsman.com. 23 March 2010.
  6. ^ Winfield, I,J.; Fletcher, J.M. (2008). Hydroacoustic assessment of the introduced powan populations of Carron Valley Reservoir and Loch Sloy. Final Report (Technical report). NERC/Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. LA/C03407/2.{{cite tech report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Etheridge E.C (2009). Aspects of the conservation biology of Coregonus lavaretus in Britain (PDF) (PhD thesis). University of Glasgow.
  8. ^ Etheridge, E.C.; C. E. Adams; C. W. Bean; N. C. Durie; A. R. D. Gowans; C. Harrod; A. A. Lyle; P. S. Maitland; I. J. Winfield (2012). "Are phenotypic traits useful for differentiating among a priori Coregonus taxa?". Journal of Fish Biology. 80: 387–407. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2011.03189.x.
  9. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Coregonus clupeoides". FishBase. March 2010 version.