Smelt of the New York Lakes 



Asia, Europe, and America, and all are valued as food, though not 

 held in as high esteem as the species of true whitefishes. 



a. Body long, herring-shaped; scales small, uniform, the free edges 



convex. 



b. Lower fins pale or merely tipped with dusky; scales punctate with 



dark points. 



c. Eye large, not much, if any, shorter than the snout in adult, its 



length 3\ to 4^ in head. 



d. Head long, 4 in body; body slender, its depth 5 to 6 in length; 



distance from occiput to snout 2\ in distance from occiput to 

 dorsal; teeth on tongue; maxillary 3 in head;. osmertformis, 131 

 dd. Head long, 4^ in length ; distance from occiput to snout nearly 

 half its distance from front of dorsal fin. 



e. Maxillary j\ to 3^ in head; gillrakers long and numerous, about 



16+30; artedi, \ 32 



ee. Maxillary longer, 2\ to 3 in head; gillrakers fewer, about 14+25; 



hoyt, 136 

 ddd. Head shorter, about 5 in length ; distance from occiput to snout 



about | distance to front of dorsal fin; pusillus, 137 



cc. Eye small, shorter than snout, about 5 in head. 

 /. Head short, about 5 in length. 



g. Body rather slender, the depth equal to length of head; distance 

 from occiput to snout 2\ to 2f in its distance from dorsal; base 



of dorsal short ; lucidus, 1 37 



gg. Body deep, the depth in adult greater than length of head; dis- 

 tance from occiput to snout 2^- to 2\ in its distance from dorsal; 



base of dorsal longer; laurettce, 137 



//. Head long, 4 to 4^ in length ; '. prognathus, 138 



bb. Lower fins all blue-black; nigripinnis, 139 



aa. Body short, deep, compressed, the curve of back similar to that 

 of belly; scales large, larger forward and closely imbricated, the 

 free margins scarcely convex tullibee, 140 



Smelt of the New York Lakes 



Argyrosomus osmeriformis (H. M. Smith) 



This small fish has been recorded only from Seneca and Skanea- 

 teles lakes, New York, where it is known as smelt. It doubtless 

 inhabits others of the deep-water lakes of northern New York. 

 Nothing is known of its habits; and its small size, 10 inches or less, 

 renders it of little value as food. 



Head 4; depth 5 to 6; eye4; 0.9; A. 13; scales 9-83-10; maxil- 

 lary 3; mandible 2; gillrakers 20+35, very long and slender, as long 

 as eye. Body very slender, back not elevated ; head rather large, its 



