490 AMERICAN FISHES. 
ical importance, but one of the Coregoni is supreme in value,—the ‘ Com- 
mon Whitefish” or “ ¢#e Whitefish”? of the Great Lakes. , 
THE COMMON LAKE WHITEFISH. 
This common Whitefish, Coregonus clupeiformis, inhabits all the “great 
lakes” and many of the smaller ones near them. Although Whitefish is 
the name by which it is known throughout most of its range, like many of 
our fishes, it has various local names. Drs. Evermann and Hugh Smith, 
in 1896, in an excellent summary of what is known of it, gave the following 
details :— 
“ The landlocked race found in Otsego Lake, N. Y., has been designated 
by the singularly inappropriate and misleading name of ‘Otsego Bass.’ 
Several local names have been applied to the fish in Lake Superior, ‘in 
allusion to the nuchal hump which characterizes the breeding males. Mr. 
Woolman found that among the fishermen of the north shore of Lake 
Superior the names ‘ High-back Whitefish’ and ‘ Buffalo-back Whitefish’ 
were applied to this fish; the name ‘ Bowback’ or ‘ Bowback Whitefish’ 
was heard by Mr. Wilcox in the eastern part of the same lake. 
“ This fish attains a larger size than any other Whitefish of North Amer- 
ica. Examples weighing as much as 23 pounds, and possibly more, have 
been taken in the upper lakes. Lake Superior has the reputation of pro- 
ducing the largest fish. In all the lakes, however, fish weighing 10 to 14 
pounds are taken. The average size of those obtained in the United States 
fisheries of the Great Lakes is probably under 4 pounds, the fish taken in 
gill nets being somewhat larger than those secured in traps. 
“The Whitefish reaches maturity at the age of three or four years, and 
