BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report
Prosopium coulterii pop. 3
Pygmy Whitefish - Pacific Populations
| Scientific Name: | Prosopium coulterii pop. 3 |
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| English Name: | Pygmy Whitefish - Pacific Populations |
| Provincial Status Summary | |
| Status: | S4 |
| Date Status Assigned: | May 15, 2019 |
| Date Last Reviewed: | May 15, 2019 |
| Reasons: | Pygmy Whitefish, Pacific population, has a large range and number of occurrences in BC, within many lakes and rivers. Potential threats to this population include habitat degredation and introduction of non-native fish. |
| Range | |
| Range Extent: | G = 200,000-2,500,000 square km |
| Range Extent Comments: | "The Pacific DU encompasses about ~34% of the lakes known to contain Pygmy Whitefish which are found in lakes within the Columbia, Fraser, and Skeena River drainages in British Columbia" (COSEWIC 2016m). The range extent is approximately 206,839 km2 (COSEWIC 2016m). |
| Area of Occupancy (km2): | F = 126-500 |
| Area of Occupancy Estimate (km2): | 273 |
| Area of Occupancy Comments: | Based on confirmed observations, within continuous habitat, the index area of occupancy is 1,092km2 (273 2x2km grid cells) (COSEWIC 2016m). |
| Occurrences & Population | |
| Number of Occurrences: | D = 81 - 300 |
| Comments: | This estimate is based upon records within COSEWIC 2016m and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy ? Knowledge Management ND (accessed April 15, 2019). ?The small size of the Pygmy Whitefish and the great depths that it generally inhabits makes its capture using conventional fishing methods difficult. Consequently, most reports documenting Pygmy Whitefish are a product of incidental capture resulting in presence/absence data only.? (COSEWIC 2016m). |
| Number of Occurrences with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity: | Rank Factor not assessed |
| Number of Occurrences Appropriately Protected & Managed: | Rank Factor not assessed |
| Population Size: | U = Unknown |
| Threats (to population, occurrences, or area affected) | |
| Degree of Threat: | U = Unknown |
| Comments: | Potential threats include habitat degradation associated with forestry, hydroelectric activity, mining, agriculture and urbanization. Stocking non-native predatroy fish may also impact Pygmy Whitefish (COSEWIC 2016m). |
| Trend (in population, range, area occupied, and/or condition of occurrences) | |
| Short-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Long-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Other Factors | |
| Intrinsic Vulnerability: | Rank Factor not assessed |
| Environmental Specificity: | Rank Factor not assessed |
| Other Rank Considerations: | |
| Information Gaps | |
| Research Needs: | |
| Inventory Needs: | |
| Stewardship | |
| Protection: | |
| Management: | |
| Version | |
| Author: | Gelling, L. |
| Date: | May 15, 2019 |
| References | |
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COSEWIC. 2016m. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Pygmy Whitefish Prosopium coulterii, Southwestern Yukon Beringian populations, Yukon River populations, Pacific populations, Western Arctic populations, Great Lakes ? Upper St. Lawrence populations, Waterton Lake populations and Saskatchewan - Nelson Rivers populations in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. iv + 69 pp.
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Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy ? Knowledge Management. ND. Known BC fish observations and BC fish distributions. Available: https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/aca81811-4b08-4382-9af7-204e0b9d2448
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for information on how the CDC determines conservation status ranks. For global conservation status reports and ranks, please visit the NatureServe website http://www.natureserve.org/.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2019. Conservation Status Report: Prosopium coulterii pop. 3. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jan 24, 2025).