Cisco

Cisco is the common name for several species of fish in the subfamily Coregonus of the salmon family (Salmonidae). This includes the cisco (Coregonus artedii), the deepwater cisco (Coregonus johannae), the blackfin cisco (Coregonus nigripinnis), the shortjaw cisco (Coregonus zenithicus), the shortnose cisco (Coregonus reighardi), the longjaw cisco (Coregonus alpenae), the Nipigon cisco (Coregonus nipigon), the least cisco (Coregonus sardinella), the Bering cisco (Coregonus laurettae), the arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) and the Bonneville cisco. The least, Bering and arctic cisco are anadromous, moving between salt water and fresh water. The longjaw and deepwater species may be extinct while the shortjaw and blackfin are endangered.

Cisco (Coregonus artedii) (also called lake herring and inland tullibee) is a species of fish which occasionally grows as large as 40 cm. and 5 pounds. It has silver sides. The live in cold water lakes and rivers in North America and eat plankton and insect larva. It is related to the lake whitefish. They are preyed upon by game fish like pike and lake trout and are also fished commercially. Commercial fishing, salmon stocking and competition from non-native alewives and smelt have almost eliminated cisco from the Great Lakes.