Stechlin cisco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stechlin cisco |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Coregonus
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| Species: |
fontanae
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The Coregonus fontanae, also known as the Stechlin cisco or Fontane cisco, is a special type of freshwater whitefish. It belongs to the Salmonidae family, which also includes salmon and trout. This fish lives only in one place: the Großer Stechlinsee (Lake Stechlin) in northern Germany. Scientists believe it recently developed from another fish called the vendace, which also lives in the same lake.
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What Does the Stechlin Cisco Look Like?
The Stechlin cisco is a very small fish. It is thought to be the smallest type of cisco in the world! The longest one ever found was about 12.6 centimetres (5.0 in) long, which is roughly the length of a pen. Most of them are usually around 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long.
These fish have a pretty look. Their bodies are a shiny silvery-pink color. Their backs are a bluish-brown, and their fins look almost clear, like glass.
Scientists can tell the Stechlin cisco apart from other similar fish by a few things. It has fewer scales along its side (between 69 and 77). Its body parts are shaped a bit differently, and its gill rakers (which help it filter food) are a certain length. It also grows slowly and, importantly, it lays its eggs in the spring, unlike many other fish.
How Did the Stechlin Cisco Get Its Name?
People first noticed two different kinds of vendace-like fish in Lake Stechlin back in the 1950s. Later, in the 1990s, more scientists studied them. When Maurice Kottelat and Jörg Freyhof were studying freshwater fish in Europe, they looked closely at this different fish. Jörg Freyhof and M. Schulz then officially described it as its own species. They named it fontanae to honor a famous German writer named Theodor Fontane. His last book, Der Stechlin, was set around Lake Stechlin.
The Stechlin cisco is a great example of how fish can change over time. After the last glacial period (about 12,000 years ago), many cisco fish in northern European lakes developed into smaller, spring-spawning, cold-loving types. Scientists used to think these different fish were all the same species. However, studies of their mitochondrial DNA (genetic material) showed that the spring-spawning fish in each lake actually evolved on their own from the vendace.
For example, in another German lake called Breiter Luzin, which is about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Lake Stechlin, there's a similar pair of fish: C. albula and Coregonus lucinensis. Even though these fish look a bit different and act differently, their genetic differences are very small. This shows how quickly new species can develop!
Where Does the Stechlin Cisco Live?
This special fish lives only in one place: the Großer Stechlinsee, or Lake Stechlin. This lake is located near the town of Stechlin in the northern part of the Brandenburg state in Germany.
Lake Stechlin is a deep, cool, and clear lake. It was formed by glaciers a long time ago. It's about 4.3 square kilometres (1.7 sq mi) in size. At its deepest point, it reaches 68 metres (223 ft), and its average depth is 22.8 metres (75 ft). The lake is very healthy, and the Stechlin cisco and the vendace make up most of the fish living there.
Lake Stechlin is part of a protected area called the Stechlin-Ruppiner Land Nature Park. Because of this protection, the Stechlin cisco is not currently in danger. The IUCN Red List lists it as "Least Concern," meaning it's not at risk of disappearing.
What Does the Stechlin Cisco Eat and How Does It Live?
Stechlin ciscoes mainly eat tiny water creatures like cladocerans and copepods. These are small crustaceans that float in the water.
You can find these fish all over Lake Stechlin. They usually live in the open water, especially in the cooler, deeper parts of the lake. They eat similar foods to the vendace that live in the same lake. However, they prefer different parts of the lake to live in.
Stechlin ciscoes usually live for about four to five years. A very interesting fact about them is that they lay their eggs in the spring. This is different from the vendace, which lays its eggs in the fall. Scientists have also found that the Stechlin cisco has a slower metabolism. This helps it live well in its cool, deep-water home.
