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Table of Contents Acknowledgements...............................................93 Introduction............................................................1 Whitefishes.............................................................8 Arctic Cisco (Qaaktaq) .............................................................. 9 Bering Cisco (Tiipuq) .............................................................. 12 Broad Whitefish (Aanaakdiq) ................................................... 14 Humpback Whitefish (Pikuktuuq) ....................................... 17 Least Cisco (Iqalusaaq) ........................................................... 19 Round Whitefish (Savigunnaq) ............................................. 22 Inconnu (Siibruaq)............................................... ........ ............ 24 Char......................................................................26 Dolly Varden Char (Iqalukpik) ............................................. 27 Arctic Char (Paiqfuk) ............................................................... 29 Lake Trout (Iqaluaqpak) ......................................................... 31 Pacific.Salmon.....................................................33 Chum Salmon (Iqalugruaq) ................................................... 34 Chinook Salmon (Iqalugruaq)............................... ..... .......... 36 Red Salmon Photo ................................................................... 37 Pink Salmon (Amaqtuuq) ...................................................... 38 Other.Freshwater.Fishes.....................................40 Arctic Lamprey (Nimigiaq) ................................................... 41 Arctic Grayling (Sulukpaugaq) ............................................. 43 Burbot (Tittaaliq) ..................................................................... 45 Longnose Sucker (Milugiaq) ................................................. 47 Northern Pike (Siulik) ............................................................ 49 Alaska Blackfish (Iduuqioiq) .................................................... 51 Threespine Stickleback (Kakalisauraq) ................................ 53 Ninespine Stickleback (Kakalisauraq) ................................. 55 Slimy Sculpin (Kanayuq) ....................................................... 57 i Nearshore.Marine/Brackish.Water.Fishes.........59. Acknowledgments Rainbow smelt (Idhuabniq) .................................................... 60 We thank the directors of the Department of Wildlife Man- Arctic Cod (Iqalugaq) ............................................................. 62 agement, Mr. Warren Matumeak, Benjamin Nageak, and Charles Saffron Cod (Uugaq) ............................................................... 64 D.N. Brower and Taqulik Hepa, for supporting this lengthy effort. Arctic Flounder (Nataabnaq) ................................................... 66 We greatly appreciate the efforts of Dave Norton who assisted with Starry Flounder (Nataabnaq) ................................................... 68 the initial concept, layout and editing. We thank Sharon Leonard, Capelin (Pawmabraq) .............................................................. 70 Regional Director for Publications for the Canadian Department Fourhorn Sculpin (Kanayuq) ................................................. 72 of Fisheries and Oceans for facilitating the use of many of the Pacific Herring (Uqsruqtuuq) ................................................ 74 excellent line drawings used in this guide. Benny Gallaway, Some.Uncommon.Marine.Fishes........................76 Bob Fechhelm, and Bill Griffiths of LGL, Ltd. assisted with the Slender Eelblenny .................................................................. 77 identifications and choices of which fish to include. Massak Ak- Eelpout ...................................................................................... 77 pik and Fannie Akpik helped proofread the Inupiat names in the Bering Wolffish ....................................................................... 78 manuscript. Noe Texeira of the NSB Mayor’s Office and Greg Wolf Eel ..................................................................................... 78 Simpson, School of Fisheries and Ocean Science, UAF helped Snailfish .................................................................................... 79 Smooth Lumpsucker............................................................... 79 with the layout and production. We appreciate the technical sup- Pacific Sand Lance ................................................................... 80 port, interest, and assistance of: Mae Ahgeak, Archie Ahkiviana, Pacific Sleeper Shark ............................................................... 81 Sr., George Ahmaogak, Connie Boynton, Charles D.N. Brower, Harry Brower, Jr., Jenny Brower, Joe Burgener, Geoff Carroll, References............................................................82 Lisa Delarosa, Fred Decicco, Dougie Edwardsen, Bob Fechhelm, Glossary................................................................85 Benny Gallaway, Eugene Brower, Bill Griffiths, Cyd Hanns, Carl Hemming, Jimmy Helmericks, Billy Itta, Edward Itta, Noah Itta, Index.....................................................................87 Paul Kignak, Richard and Maggie Kovalsky, Daniel Leavitt, Sr., James Matumeak, Warren Matumeak, Bill Morris, Marchie Acknowledgements...............................................93 Nageak, Gilford Mongoyak, Sadie Neakok, Todd O’Hara, Ellis Patkotak, Michael Pederson, Mike Philo, Fenton Rexford, Eddie Rexford, Jim Reynolds, John Rose, Robert Suydam, and Dave Ramey. We appreciate the North Slope Borough for its continuing support of the goals and objectives of the Department of Wildlife Management. We particulary appreciate the assistance of “Eskimo fish biologists” Arnold Brower, Sr., and Noah Itta, for sharing their knowledge on fish in the Barrow region; John Thedinga, Scott W. Johnson, and A. Darcie of NMFS reviewed the text. ii 93 J. Craig George has worked as a wildlife biologist Introduction in Barrow, Alaska since 1977. Most of his work The purpose of this booklet is to provide an easy-to-use identification has focused on bowhead whale and fish research. guide to the common fish species of the North Slope and Arctic coast of Alaska, particularly in the Beaufort Sea drainages. Another intent is to provide the Iñupiat names (using Barrow spellings), when available, as well as English common names, to help settle confusion regarding identification of these species. The Iñupiat names, like scientific names, are usually quite specific and non-ambiguous (i.e., one name for one spe- cies) while the English common names tend to be confusing and duplica- Dr. Lawrence Moulton obtained his doctorate tive. For some marine species, common or local names do not exist. The degree in fisheries biology at the University marine fishes included in this guide are common species that are fished of Washington College of Fisheries in Seattle. (e.g., Arctic cod) or regularly seen as part of fishing (e.g., Arctic floun- He has been studying fishes of Alaska’s Arctic der). Also included are some unusual marine fish that have been snagged Coastal Plain since 1978. He presently lives on in nets or cast ashore in storms, such as the wolffishes. Much of the Lopez Island, Washington with his wife Margaret. descriptive information in this guide is found in greater detail in James E. Morrow’s “The Freshwater Fish of Alaska1,” a fine book now out of print. Other excellent guides include: “Freshwater Fishes of Northwestern Canada and Alaska2” by J. D. McPhail and C.C Lindsey, and the “Pacific Fishes of Canada18” by J. L. Hart (both published by the Fisheries Re- Dr. Michele Johnson Deering earned her Ph.D. search Board of Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans DFO; also at University of California Davis studying out of print). The new “Fishes of Alaska” by Mecklenburg et al, (2002), eiders in the Barrow area; she is now raising is now the best reference for identifying Alaskan fish. Many of the line illustrations in this guide are from those publications, and are reproduced a family in Anchorage, Alaska. Michele is also under a one-time agreement with DFO Canada; others were done by M. the author of the “Barrow Wildflower Sketch- Johnson. book” published in 1995, and reprinted in 2006. Fish Use on the North Slope Any Iñupiat elder will tell you that fish is an important subsistence resource on the Slope, and that the Iñupiat have fished as long as anyone can remember. Fishing patterns of North Slope fishermen are adapted to the life histories of the fish species sought. The roughly 22 species that they harvest are available in different areas and seasons depending on their spawning, overwintering and feeding behavior. The old literature makes some references to fishing on the Slope. In the 1850s, Rochfort Maguire, commander of the HMS Plover, described fishing patterns of people in the now-abandoned village of Nuvuk3 (Point Barrow). Back then, villagers fished for Arctic cod along the beach in all seasons, netted whitefish and salmon in summer, and traveled inland in the fall to catch whitefish in spawning and overwintering areas. These practices have been passed on and remain essentially unchanged. Farther east along the Colville River, Vilhjalmur Stefansson wrote in 1907, “several 92 1 Eskimo families camped where the Itkillik River meets the Colville had T Y 4 commenced to lay up several tons