SALMONOID FISHES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 
3 
Genus LEUCICHTHYS Dybowski. 
The Lake Herrings. 
Argyrosomus Agassiz, Lake Superior, p. 339, 1850 (" clupeijormis” of De Kay, not of Mitehill = harengus) not of 
M. de la Pylaie, which, according to Doctor Gill, is P seudoscuzna aquila. 
Leucichthys Dybowski, Fische des Baikal-Wassersystemes, Verh. K. K. Zool.-Bot, Gesell. Wien, bd. xxiv, 1874. 
p. 390 (Salmo omul Pallas). 
Allosomus Jordan, Manual Vertebrates, ed. 2, p. 361, 1878 (Coregonus lullibee Richardson). 
Thrissomimus Gill Ms., November. 1909 ( Coregonus artedi Le Sueur). 
Cisco Jordan & Evermann, new subgenus (Argyrosomus nigripinnis Gill). 
We are indebted to Prof. Theodore Gill for the information that the name Argyrosomus was first 
given to the “maigre” of the Mediterranean, and in advance of its use by Agassiz for the genus of 
lake herring. The maigre should therefore stand as Argyrosomus aquila instead of Pseudoscicena 
aquila. The following statement is given by Professor Gill : 
The name Argyrosomus first appears in the “Comptes Rendus du Congr^s Scientifique de France,” 
2nd session in 1834, pages524 to 534 (published in 1835). The article is entitled 11 Recherches en France 
sur les poissons de l’Oc6an pendant les ann6es 1832 et 1833, par. M. de la Pylaie de Fougbres.” 
On page 534, Professor Gill informs us, M. de la Pylaie has the following: 
Sous le tribu des Persfeques, nous voyons . . . V Argyrosomus procerus, nouveau genre que j’ai 
form6 avec le Scicena aquila Cuv., et auquel j’associe une nouvelle espbce, VArg. sparotdes, de la baie 
de Bourg Neuf. 
No other reference is made to Argyrosomus or these species. The species Scicena aquila must 
be taken as the type of Argyrosomus. The name thus antedates Pseudoscicena Bleeker, given in 1863 
to the same species, aquila. 
The name Leucichthys, first given by Dybowski in 1874 to two Siberian species of the genus Argy- 
rosomus Agassiz, must apparently replace the latter for the lake herring ciscoes with their old world 
congeners. Leucichthys, based on Coregonus omul and Coregonus tugun, is separated by Dybowski 
from “ Coregonus sensu strictiore” by the terminal mouth. The first species named, Coregonus omul, 
may be taken as its type. 
Dybowski thus records these species: 
2. Gruppe, Leucichthys, Der Mund vorderstandig oder halb oberstandig. Die Symphyse des 
Unterkiefers mit einer hockerartigen Anschwellung. 
19. Art. Leucichthys omul Pall., 1 . c., Taf. vm, Fig. 2. Der Kopf nach vorn zugespitzt, die Schnauze 
verlangert. Der Unterkiefer ein wenig vorstehend. Die Nase schwach gewolbt, etc. 
20. Art. Leucichthys tugun Pall. Der Kopf nach vorn zugespitzt, die Schnauze wenig verlangert, 
der Unterkiefer etwas vorstehend, etc. 
In both these species the jaws and tongue are said to be “mit schwacher Zahnehen besetzt.” 
Pallas, however, says of L. omul, “ os plane edentulum,” and of L. tugun, “maxilla . . . utraque 
edentula.” We find no teeth in the jaws of the American species, and only minute asperities on the 
tongue. There is no hook on the end of the lower jaw in any of our species, although a slight promi- 
nence in L. johannee, L. prognathus, and L. cyanopterus suggests it. In view of all this there is some 
doubt as to whether our American species should be referred to the same genus as Leucichthys omul. 
We may note, however, that both Guldenstadt and Pallas deny the presence of teeth in Stenodus leucich- 
thys. Our specimens of the latter from the Volga River at Sammara, Russia, show small teeth in both 
jaws and on the vomer, palatines, and tongue, as supposed by Doctor Gunther and as shown by the Ameri- 
can species, Stenodus mackenzii. The use of Leucichthys as a generic name by Dybowski may indicate 
that he had this species, Stenodus leucichthys, in mind as the type of Leucichthys. But he mentions 
only the two species omul and tugun. As both of these are said to have teeth, and to have the lower 
jaw produced and hooked, it may be that they constitute a separate subgenus, intermediate between 
Stenodus on the one hand and the American on the other. To this subgenus the European species 
Leucichthys vandesius may possibly belong, as that species is said to have minute teeth on the jaws and 
tongue, and a projecting lower jaw and uncurved chin as in Leucichthys omul. On the other hand, the 
British species, Leucichthys pollan, much resembles the American species. 
