Robust, oval-shaped silver fish with clear fins and a wide forked tail.

Cisco

Coregonus artedi
Where at Shedd?
At Home on the Great Lakes
Diet Algae, plankton, crustaceans and small aquatic insects
Size Length: Up to 22 inches (57 cm); common length 11.5 inches (29.3 cm)
Type Fishes
Range Freshwater lakes, large rivers and coastal marine waters across much of Canada, South into the Great Lakes Basin
Habitat Freshwater lakes and large rivers and coastal marine waters across much of Canada, south into the Great Lakes Basin

Did you know?

  1. The cisco at Shedd were raised at and donated from the Jordan River National Fish Hatchery, a government-run hatchery in northern Michigan.

  2. Cisco are listed as an endangered species in Illinois, therefore hatchery-raised fish are helping to bolster the population.

IUCN Red List Conservation Status