Selawik National Wildlife Refuge provides habitat for many species of fish and supports major fisheries of local and statewide importance. The Selawik and Kobuk rivers, the two primary river systems in the refuge, support large populations of anadromous fishes (those which move between saltwater and freshwater) as well as resident fishes (which stay in freshwater).
Learn more about a few of the area's fish from a local Iñupiaq perspective on the Service's podcast "Fish of the Week!"
The following list includes fish species currently known to exist on or near Selawik Refuge. Abundance varies widely. The Iñupiaq names included are the most common in northwest Alaska, but there are many local and regional variations of these names.
Common Name / Species / Iñupiaq Name
- Broad whitefish / Coregonus nasus / Qausriḷuk, Siyyuilaq
- Humpback whitefish / Coregonus pidschian / Qaalġiq, Ikkuiyiq
- Least cisco / Coregonus sardinella / Qalusraaq, Aŋuutituuq, Qalutchiaq
- Round whitefish / Prosopium cylindraceum / Quptik
- Sheefish (inconnu) / Stenodus leucichthys / Sii
- Chinook salmon / Oncorhynchus tshawytscha / Qaluaqpuk, Iqalusugruk
- Chum salmon / Oncorhynchus keta / Qalugruaq
- Coho salmon / Oncorhynchus kisutch / Qalugruaq
- Pink salmon / Oncorhynchus gorbuscha / Amaqtuq
- Sockeye salmon / Oncorhynchus nerka / Qalugruaq
- Dolly Varden / Salvelinus malma / Qalukpik, Aqalukpik
- Arctic grayling / Thymallus arcticus / Sulukpaugaq
- Northern pike / Esox lucius / Siulik
- Burbot / Lota lota / Tittaaliq, Tiktaaliq
- Alaska blackfish / Dallia pectoralis / Iłuuqiñiq
- Longnose sucker / Catostomus catostomus / Kaviqsuaq, Milugiaq
- Pacific herring / Clupea pallasii / Uqsruqtuuq
- Coastrange sculpin / Cottus aleuticus / Kanayuq
- Slimy sculpin / Cottus cognatus / Kanayuq
- Ninespine stickleback / Pungitius pungitius / Kakiḷḷasak
- Capelin / Mallotus villosus / Paŋmagraq
- Pond smelt / Hypomesus olidus / Iłhuaġniq
- Rainbow smelt / Osmerus mordax / Iłhuaġniq
- Arctic lamprey / Lampetra camtschatica
