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Menominee Whitefish
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This species is known as menominee whitefish (Lakes Superior and Michigan), round whitefish (British America), frostfish (Lake Champlain and Adirondack lakes), shadwaiter (Lake Winnepesaukee), pilotfish (Lake Champlain), chivey (Maine), Chateaugay shad (Chateaugay Lake), and blackback (Lake Michigan).
The round whitefish is found in the lakes of New England, westward through the Adirondacks and the Great Lakes, thence northward into Alaska, from which it may be seen that this species is the most widely distributed of the American whitefishes.
The menominee reaches a length of 12 to 15 inches, and a weight of 2 pounds; the average weight of those taken to market, however, does not exceed one pound.
This species, like all others of its genus, spawns in the fall, but nothing distinctive is known of its habits. It is ordinarily found in rather deep water of the lakes, and does not often enter streams. It is not regarded as a game-fish, but as an article of food it ranks with the other smaller whitefishes. Considerable quantities are taken each year in Lake Champlain and the small Adirondack lakes, while in Lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior still larger quantities are caught, gillnets being the gear usually employed for the purpose.
Head 5; depth 4 3/4; eye 5 1/2; D. 11; A. 10; scales 9-80 to 90-8; maxillary 5 1/2; mandible 3 1/3; gillrakers about 7+10, 4 to 5 in eye. Body elongate, not elevated nor much compressed, the back rather broad, the form more nearly round than in any other species; mouth very small and narrow, inferior, the broad maxillary not reaching to opposite the eye; head long, the snout compressed and bluntly pointed, its tip below level of eye; profile not strongly decurved; preorbital wider than pupil; mandible originating under middle of eye; adipose fin small; gillrakers short and stoutish. Colour, dark bluish above, silvery below.