10 20 40 60 cm
mittakaava < 60 cm
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Lauri Urho. All rights reserved.
- Other names: Northern whitefish
- Family: Salmonids – Salmonidae
- Similar species: vendace, whitefish
- Size: 20–45 cm, 300–1500 g.
- Appearance: Small peled resemble slim vendace or small whitefish, but larger individuals are distinguished from those by their slightly deeper body. The line of the back is straighter, making the body less tapered, almost rectangular. The jaws are equally long, thus peled lack the protruding lower jaw of vendace and the snout typical of other whitefishes. A more scientific distinction between the peled and other whitefishes requires examination of the first gill arch, which has 50–65 gill rakers, more than any of the other whitefishes.
- Colouring: Sides silver, belly whitish.
- Reproduction: In the reservoirs of Lapland peled spawn in December under the ice on gravel at depths of less than 2–3 m.
- Food: Plankton and to a lesser extent surface insects and small fish fry.
- Distribution and habitat: Introduced into Finland from Siberia. Although planted in numerous lakes its occurrence is largely limited to the Lokka and Portipahta reservoirs, where it has occasionally reproduced successfully. Drastic changes in water levels, however, have often destroyed the eggs and peled populations are largely dependent on stocking. Peled are more closely related to vendace than to other whitefishes and, like vendace, they feed in shoals on plankton in open water.
- Harmfulness: Locally harmful invasive species.
Despite being related to the vendace and other whitefishes, the peled is not highly regarded as a food fish. The flesh is rather soft and tasteless, especially when small. Larger peled can be eaten raw salted (gravad).