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.