Eulachon: A Review of Biology and an Annotated Bibliography

This review and annotated bibliography was stimulated by the realization that while eulachon are an important forage fish, they are also under-studied. Historically, eulachon have had relatively little commercial value, compared to more widely known species such as herring. However, this oil-rich little fish has had an important role in the culture of Natives on the coast of southeast and south-central Alaska, and First Nations on the cost of British Columbia. Eulachon ‘grease’ was a major item of trade with Natives of Interior Alaska, as well as an important food source for coastal peoples. Subsistence use of eulachon continues, at least in some areas.
By the 1990s, the value of eulachon spawning runs to many wildlife species began to draw increased scientific attention, including several new studies of eulachon biology per se. Nevertheless, much remains to learn, not only about eulachon biology, but also about the ecological patterns and consequences for the predators of eulachon.

The authors of this review hope that it will help stimulate research on the ecology and evolution of eulachon and their predators. This review was completed in the fall of 2003. References from fall 2003 to date are listed in an addendum at the end of this manuscript.