SALMONOID FISHES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 
7 
Of all the species of Leucichthys this must be the most numerous in individuals, occupying as it 
does most of the open waters of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. It is taken in great abundance in 
Saginaw Bay, where it is largely salted for commercial purposes. It is the most important fish in the 
fisheries of Saginaw Bay, the catch in 1908 amounting to 3,871,345 pounds, while the total catch of all 
species was 7,104,703 pounds. 
This species is said to range down the shores of Lake Huron to Port Huron, and to be taken occa- 
sionally in Lake Erie, having come down the Detroit River. It is also said that the shore lake herring 
of Green Bay in Lake Michigan are of the same type. These Saginaw herring differ from the ordinary 
blueback of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan in their gray color, less cylindrical body, smaller size, and 
especially in the much smaller adipose fin. 
Specimens from near Pine, Ind., at the southern end of Lake Michigan, seem to belong to this 
species rather than to Leucichthys sisco huronius. These are small in size, gray in color, and with the 
adipose fin not larger than in L. harengus. 
Head 4.33 in body without caudal; depth 4.33; length of caudal peduncle measured from last anal 
ray to first of caudal, 2.12 in head; depth 3; eye 4; snout 3.75; interorbital space 3.75; maxillary meas- 
ured from tip of snout 3; dorsal 11, anal 12; scales 10-83-9, between occiput and dorsal, 33; branchi- 
ostegals 9; gillrakers 16+31, length 0.87 eye diameter. 
Body elongate, not much compressed, more cylindrical than in most species. Width 1.75 in its depth, • 
more convex ventrally; caudal peduncle long, terete, not deep nor much compressed; back above occiput 
Fig. 2. — Leucichthys harengus (Richardson). Saginaw Bay herring. (Drawn from a specimen 1 1 
inches long, collected in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Collingwood, Ontario.) 
only moderately arched; head small; under jaw projecting somewhat; maxillary not quite extending 
below the anterior edge of pupil, thrice as long as broad; teeth on tongue only, very minute and few 
in number; distance from snout to occiput always less than half distance from occiput to dorsal 
insertion; dorsal inserted midway between snout and base of caudal, somewhat small, its longest ray 
1.75 in head, its base about half length of head, usually shorter than eye, rarely longer; adipose small, 
its length from insertion to tip 5 in head, low, its height 0.33 its length, but variable in different speci- 
mens; in general its greatest length is 4 to 4.5 times in the distance from the depressed tip of the dorsal 
to its base; ventrals somewhat shorter than pectoral, the latter about 0.66 length of head; anal small, its 
base equal to that of dorsal, its longest ray 2.33 in head; lateral line straight; scales moderate in size. 
Color in spirits, dark along the center of the back and on the dorsal surface of the head, coffee-colored 
on the remainder, silvery laterally and colorless ventrally; dorsal black on distal half; caudal dark, 
edged with black ; pectoral and ventral lightly touched w'ith dark along first rays ; anal dark on distal half. 
Specimens from Blind River on the North Channel of Lake Huron differ from the Collingwood 
specimens in having the colors darker, the surface suffused by dusky, as usual in “muskeeg” waters, or 
water darkened by drainage from sphagnum swamps. These are also more slender and smaller, but 
do not differ otherwise. A figure of one is presented. 
The ordinary herring of Lake Superior are placed provisionally under Leucichthys harengus, of which 
they constitute a tangible variety or subspecies, distinguished by the larger size, the more cylindrical 
