98 NORTHERN FISHES 



Figure 9. Northern cisco, Leucichthys artedi tuUibee, 13 inches long. 



examined by the authors appear to resemble closely those of the black- 

 fin, L. nigripinnis. The system adopted by Koelz (1930) is so detailed 

 that instead of simplifying matters it appears to complicate them by 

 building up numerous additional subspecies of doubtful value. 



If we accept Koelz's subspecies as valid, tvoodi is the common form of 

 small tullibee occurring in numerous lakes in north central Minnesota 

 and is the fish commonly designated as tullibee. Although ichthyologists 

 have called the tullibees of Minnesota lakes by various names (Cox, 

 1897; Surber, 19'20; Jordan, Evermann, and Clark, 1930) , all specimens 

 examined at the University of Minnesota show a close relationship to 

 L. artedi and are either varieties or subspecies of L. artedi of the Great 

 Lakes. Other subspecies are reported from various Wisconsin lakes 

 by Greene (1935) . 



Tullibee are present in most of the larger lakes of northern Minnesota 

 and are found in some of the central lakes, such as Mille Lacs. Tullibee 

 are reported from some of the smaller lakes of central Minnesota, such 

 as Lake Elmo in Washington County, Green Lake in Kandiyohi County, 

 and Cedar Lake in Wright County. Some of them seem to be smaller 

 and more slender than those found in other lakes and may belong to 

 another subspecies, resulting from the early stocking, about 1878, when 

 so-called Lake Superior herring and other coregonids were planted in 

 many central Minnesota lakes. However, when specimens of these small, 

 slender tullibee have been studied they have turned out to be merely 

 young but normal individuals of the deep-bodied form. 



Some ichthyologists have claimed that the deep-bodied tullibee was 

 the result of the small lake environment. In certain lakes in the Superior 

 National Forest slender-bodied L. artedi arcturiis from Lake Superior 

 have been introduced. It may be possible in the future to determine 

 whether the environment has caused them to change their body form. 



All the various members of this genus are cold-water fishes and do not 

 thrive in warm water. Evidence of this fact is seen in many warm-water 

 lakes like Mille Lacs, where the species does continue to exist but where 

 thousands die each vear during August. 



