| Synonyms | | | | Enchelyopus lota Bloch and Schneider, 1801 | | | Gadus lacustris Walbaum, 1792 | | | Gadus maculosa Le Sueur, 1817 | | | Gadus compressus Le Sueur, 1817 | | | Molva maculosa Le Sueur, 1819 | | | Molva lota Fleming, 1828 | | | Lota brosmina Storer, 1839 | | | Lota maculosa De Kay, 1842 | | | Lota compressa De Kay, 1842 | | | Lota inornata De Kay, 1842 | | | Lota vulgaris Kessler, 1864 | | | Lota linnei Malm, 1877 | | | Lota vulgaris obensis Anikin, 1902 | | | Lota lota kamensis Markun, 1936 | | | Lota lota lota Hubbs & Schultz, 1941 | | | Lota lota leptura Hubbs & Schultz, 1941 | | | Lota lota maculosa Hubbs & Schultz, 1941 |
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| FAO Names | | En - Burbot, Fr - Lotte de rivière, Sp - Lota. |
| 3Alpha Code: FBU Taxonomic Code: 1480400301 |
| Scientific Name with Original Description | | | Gadus lota Linnaeus, 1758Syst. Nat. ed.X:255 |
| Diagnostic Features | | | Anterior nostril with a prominent barbel-like flap. Teeth all small and brush-like. Dorsal fins two; anal fin one; none connected with caudal fin; first dorsal ray followed by similar rays, 9 to 16 rays in total; pelvic fin with a slightly elongate ray, falling short of end of pectoral fin. Lateral line continuous to about end of dorsal- and anal-fin bases, interrupted to end of body. Colour:yellow, light tan to brown overlaid by a pattern of darker brown or black. |
| Geographical Distribution | | | | Circumarctic in freshwater, in some areas as far south as 40º. |
| Habitat and Biology | | Found on the bottom of lakes and rivers at depths that vary seasonally from ca. 0.5 to 230 m.
The burbot spawns from November to May, considering its whole area of distribution, but mainly from January to March in Canada, and in December in the Anadyr River (USSR). Spawning takes place at night, usually under the ice in shallow waters temperatures ranging from 0.6° to - 1.7°C. over sand or gravel. The eggs are semipelagic. Fecundity estimates in Canada range from 45 600 eggs in a 34 cm female to 1 362 077 eggs in a 64 cm female. Growth in the first 4 years is rapid, but decreases thereafter. The young attain lengths of 7.6 to 21 cm by the end of the first year; in Lake Simcoe, Ontario, burbot at age 5 average about 55 cm total length. The maximum life expectancy is probably 15 years.The burbot is a voracious predator and night feeder. Small burbot feed on insect larvae, crayfish, molluscs and other invertebrates, but relatively few fishes, while individuals over 50 cm total length feed almost exclusively on fishes. It is an important competitor for food of lake trout and white fishes. |
| Size | | | May reach 120 cm or more in total length; common size to about 40 cm |
| Interest to Fisheries | | Global Capture production for
Lota lota
(FAO Fishery Statistic) |  |   |
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Fished commercially in Finland, Sweden and the European part of USSR, while it is of minor commercial importance in Alaska and Canada. The catch reported for 1987 in the FAO Yearbook of Fishery Statistics totalled 1 577 metric tons (Finland: 1 540 t; Sweden 37 t). Marketed mainly salted or used as pet food.
| | |  Related Fishing Techniques |
| Local Names | | | CANADA : American burbot , Burbot , Eelpout , Freshwater eel , Lawyer , Maria , Methy . |
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Bibliography Scott & Crossman, 1973 Svetovidov, 1948 |
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