Is it possible to identify habitat for a rare species: Shortjaw cisco (Coregonus zenithicus) in Lake Huron as a case study

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada has recommended that Shortjaw cisco (Coregonus zenithicus) be listed under the Species at Risk Act; if listed the species will receive legal protection, including its 'critical habitat'. Shortjaw cisco provides a case study for the feasibility of habitat identification for threatened species. Competing habitat use models were developed from three available physical habitat variables (Water Depth, Slope and Distance to Cliff) and were evaluated using binary logistic regression and Akaike information criteria. Of the habitat factors examined, Water Depth was the most important variable explaining the distribution of shortjaw cisco in Lake Huron. However, water depth information alone cannot identify habitat for this taxonomically uncertain and rare species in Lake Huron. Therefore, it is recommended that future studies of shortjaw cisco habitat use study locations where shortjaw cisco are still abundant and include depth as a variable along with variables in future models.