The smallest and handsomest of the American whitefish is the cisco of Lake Michigan (_Argyrosomus hoyi_). It is a slender fish, rarely exceeding ten inches in length, and its scales have the brilliant silvery luster of the mooneye and the ladyfish. The lake herring, or cisco (_Argyrosomus artedi_), is, next to the whitefish, the most important of the American species. It is more elongate than the others, and has a comparatively large mouth, with projecting under-jaw. It is correspondingly more voracious, and often takes the hook. During the spawning season of the whitefish the lake herring feeds on the ova of the latter, thereby doing a great amount of mischief. As food this species is fair, but much inferior to the whitefish. Its geographical distribution is essentially the same, but to a greater degree it frequents shoal waters. In the small lakes around Lake Michigan, in Indiana and Wisconsin (Tippecanoe, Geneva, Oconomowoc, etc.), the cisco has long been established; and in these waters its habits have undergone some change, as has also its external appearance. It has been recorded as a distinct species, _Argyrosomus sisco_, and its excellence as a game-fish has been long appreciated by the angler. These lake ciscoes remain for most of the year in the depths of the lake, coming to the surface only in search of certain insects, and to shallow water only in the spawning season. This periodical disappearance of the cisco has led to much foolish discussion as to the probability of their returning by an underground passage to Lake Michigan during the periods of their absence. One author, confounding "cisco" with "siscowet," has assumed that this underground passage leads to Lake Superior, and that the cisco is identical with the fat lake trout which bears the latter name. The name "lake herring" alludes to the superficial resemblance which this species possesses to the marine herring, a fish of quite a different family. [Illustration: FIG. 51.—Bluefin Cisco, _Argyrosomus nigripinnis_ Gill. Sheboygan. ] Closely allied to the lake herring is the bluefin of Lake Michigan and of certain lakes in New York (_Argyrosomus nigripinnis_), a fine large species inhabiting deep waters, and recognizable by the blue-black color of its lower fins. In the lakes of central New York are found two other species, the so-called lake smelt (_Argyrosomus osmeriformis_) and the long-jaw (_Argyrosomus_ _prognathus_). _Argyrosomus lucidus_ is abundant in Great Bear Lake. In Alaska and Siberia are still other species of the cisco type (_Argyrosomus laurettæ_, _A. pusillus_, _A. alascanus_); and in Europe very similar species are the Scotch vendace (_Argyrosomus vandesius_) and the Scandinavian Lok-Sild (lake herring), as well as others less perfectly known.