The eulachon (;
Etymology
The name "candlefish" derives from it being so fatty during spawning, with up to 15% of the total
body weight in fat, that if caught, dried, and strung on a wick, it can be burned as a candle.
This is the name most often used by early explorers. The name
eulachon (occasionally seen as
oolichan ,
ooligan ,
hooligan ,
oulachon, and
uthlecan) is from the Chinookan language and the
Chinook Jargon based on that language. One of several theories for the origin of the name of the state of Oregon is that it was a corruption from the term "Oolichan Trail", the native trade route for oolichan oil.
In some parts it is also known as "halimotkw", which can be translated as "savior fish" or "salvation fish", due to its availability for fishing often coming at the end of winter, when food supplies typically run low.
The unrelated sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria is also called "candlefish" in the United Kingdom.
Species description
Eulachon are distinguished by the large canine-like teeth on the
vomer bone and 19 to 31 rays in the
anal fin. Like
Salmonidae they have an
adipose fin (aft of the dorsal); it is sickle-shaped. The paired fins are longer in male fish than in females. All fins have well-developed breeding tubercles (raised tissue "bumps") in ripe males, but these are poorly developed or absent in females. Adult coloration is brown or blue on the back extending to the top of the head, lighter to silvery white or light blue on the sides, and white on the ventral surface; speckling is extra fine, sparse, and restricted to the back.
[ Adults can reach maximum lengths of but most adults are between .]
Ecology
Eulachon feed primarily on plankton as well as , insect larvae, ocean debris and small crustaceans. It forms an important part of the diet of many ocean and shore predators, and serves as a prominent food source for people living near its spawning streams.
Eulachon, as anadromous fish, spend most of their adult lives in the ocean but return to their natal freshwater streams and rivers to spawn and die.
Economics and trade
Indigenous communities of the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska made eulachon an important part of their diet, as well as a valuable trade item with peoples whose territories did not include spawning rivers. The species was caught using traps, rakes, and nets. The harvest continues today, with other residents taking part in the exploitation of the large runs. Today harvested eulachon are typically stored frozen and thawed as needed. They may also be fried, dried, smoked, or canned. Eulachon were also processed for their rich oil. The usual process was to allow the fish to decompose (rot) for a week or more in a hole in the ground, then add boiling hot water and skim off the oil, which would rise to the surface, being less dense than water. Eulachon oil (also known as "Eulachon grease") was traded with inland communities; as a result, the trails over which the trade was conducted came to be known as . Other uses of eulachon by non-Natives include bait for sportfishing and food for cats and dogs.
Conservation status
In November 2008, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) received a petition from the Cowlitz Tribe to list a distinct population segment (DPS) of eulachon from Washington, Oregon, and California, (the so-called Southern DPS) as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
In Canada, the Central Pacific Coast and Fraser River populations were classified as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in 2011.[ At that time, the Nass River / Skeena River Rivers population was given threatened status, but this was downgraded to Special Concern status when the Nass / Skeena Rivers population was individually reassessed by COSEWIC in 2013.]
Overall, the species faces multiple threats, including Overexploitation, pollution, loss of freshwater spawning habitat due to logging, Diversion dam and dam construction and climate change.[ Canadian spawning runs have been severely depleted compared to historic levels,][ while abrupt declines were reported in the Columbia River, Fraser and Klinaklini River rivers in 1994.][
]
External links
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FishBase entry for Thaleichthys pacificus
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Preserving the Tradition of T'lina Making - Virtual Museum Exhibit of Kwakwaka'wakw eulachon oil production
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Central Coast First Nation preserves eulachon grease tradition as the fish returns to Bella Coola River, Audrey McKinnon, CBC News, June 27, 2018, last opened Febr. 13, 2022
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Sinumwack: Bella Coola Oolichan Run (UBCIC, 1978)
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Watch a Fish Transform From Animal to Candle, National Geographic on YouTube, last opened Febr. 13, 2022
