The common name "golomyanka" originates from the old-Russian "golomen", meaning "far from the shore" in the local dialect and referring to their pelagic behavior. They are the principal ecological competitor to the omul, which also eat small golomyankas, and represent a primary food source for the Baikal seal, at more than 90% of its diet. They are easily identifiable, and are large enough to be easily seen. Golomyankas are unusual for occurring pelagically throughout the entire water column of Lake Baikal, ranging from depths of around to near the surface, but they primarily occur deeper than . During the night they move up the water column to feed, often occurring as shallow as , and in the winter they can occasionally be seen swimming just below the ice-covered surface. They are considered the world's most abyssal freshwater fish, together with certain Lake Baikal deep-water sculpins (Abyssocottidae). They move without much regard for changes in pressure, although they can exist only in cold temperatures, preferring water that is no more than and dying at .