Lake Baikal Unique Species

Baikal ringed seals have been hunted since antiquity until present time because it is an integral part of local culture for the indigenous population.

Lake baikal unique species. It is home to many unique species of animals and plants including the freshwater seal. The age and isolation of lake baikal combine to make it quite unusual. The majority of them are bullheads the shirokolobka wide forehead as they are called locally. It has a unique fauna and flora because of its unique characteristics lake baikal has a very rich biodiversity.

Thanks to the ringed seals they receive valuable skin fat and meat. The golomyankas are the primary prey of the baikal seal and represent the largest fish biomass in the lake. Although today ringed seal is not officially specially protected certain limitations on hunting this rare animal were introduced on lake baikal not so long ago. Like lake baikal the nerpa seal is itself a natural phenomenon.

The omul coregonus migratorius is endemic to lake baikal and is a source of income to locals. Ringed seal is the main endemic of lake baikal baikal s relict and symbol. Other land based species around lake baikal include. And these are just the ones we know of.

They are represented in baikal by 32 species 29 of which are endemic. Beyond members of cottoidea there are few endemic fish species in the lake basin. In a good day you could see 40 meters into the lake. It s literally a scientist s dream because over 1 000 species of plants grow and over 2 500 species of animals live in and near lake baikal.

The nerpa seal species. The one mammal species is the baikal seal or nerpa phoca sibirica. The baikal seal is one of more than 2 000 known animals that are endemic unique to lake baikal in siberia russia. The omul salmon is heavily fished.

They are one of only three species of seal found only in freshwater lakes on. Lake baikal is 640km long and judging by its dimensions only it would be more of a sea than a lake. There are hundreds of species of small invertebrates in the lake found nowhere else on earth. These rich minerals are the reason for some of lake baikals most unusual species including the baikal omul fish the baikal oil fish and the star of the show.

The geology and biodiversity of lake baikal are truly unique. Other endemic species include the oily scaleless golomyanka fish and the omul a white fish that is one of lake baikal s most famous dishes. Also important are the grayling lake whitefish and sturgeon. There are more than 320 bird species in the baikal area.

Baikal is also the world s most ancient freshwater lake it originated 20 25 million years ago. Unique to the lake is a fish called the golomyanka of the family comephoridae which gives birth to live young.