Any of several silvery food fishes (family Salmonidae, or Coregonidae), inhabiting cold northern lakes of Europe, Asia, and North America. Whitefish weigh about 2-5 lbs (1-2 kg); they eat insect larvae and other small animals. The Lake Superior whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), also called whiting or shad, is the largest of the lake whitefishes. Ciscoes, or lake herring (Coregonus artedi), are herringlike food and sport fishes. The best sport fishes of the family are the Rocky Mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) and other round whitefishes
silvery herring-like freshwater food fish of cold lakes of the northern hemisphere flesh of salmon- or trout-like cold-water fish of cold lakes of the northern hemisphere any market fish--edible saltwater fish or shellfish--except herring