United States (contiguous states) country information

Common names: Blueback herring, Herring, River herring
Occurrence: native
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Middle Atlantic and Scotian Shelf (Ref. 37512). Found in Chesapeake Bay and virtually all streams tributary to the Bay, Delaware River, and offshore waters of New Jersey (Ref. 4639). Also Ref. 27549, 93252.
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
National Fisheries Authority: https://www.nmfs.gov
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Whitehead, P.J.P., 1985
National Database:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Clupeiformes (Herrings) > Clupeidae (Herrings, shads, sardines, menhadens) > Alosinae
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Alose d'été du Canada, Sábalo del Canadá, Blueback herring, ... more

Main reference

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1985. (Ref. 188)
References | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 40.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7251); common length : 27.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 188); max. published weight: 200.00 g (Ref. 7251); max. reported age: 8 years (Ref. 12193)

Environment

Marine; freshwater; brackish; pelagic-neritic; anadromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 5 - 55 m (Ref. 5951)

Climate / Range

Subtropical, preferred 12°C (Ref. 107945); 41°N - 25°N, 84°W - 60°W (Ref. 188)

Distribution

Western Atlantic: Cape Breton, Nova Scotia south to the St. John's River, Florida; also in lower parts of rivers.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-20; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 15 - 21; Vertebrae: 47 - 53. Moderately compressed, belly with distinct keel of scutes. Upper jaw with a distinct notch; lower jaw rising steeply within mouth; minute teeth present at front of jaws (disappearing with age). Lower gill rakers 41 to 52 (fewer in fishes under 10 cm standard length), slender. Back dark blue, sometimes bluish-grey; a dark spot on shoulder (Ref. 188). Peritoneum black (Ref. 7251). Branchiostegal rays 7 (Ref. 4639).

Form schools and possibly wintering near the bottom and out from the coast, approaching the shore in the late spring. Feed on small fishes, copepods and small shrimps. Spawn in brackish- or freshwaters of rivers, arriving in coastal waters a month or so later than A. pseudoharengus (in April at Chesapeake Bay, apparently when the water is above 70° C and later further north). Eggs are essentially pelagic, demersal in still water (Ref. 4639). Larvae are found in fresh and brackish rivers (Ref. 4639). Juveniles leave fresh and brackish nursery grounds at about 5 cm, migrating downstream (Ref. 4639). Marketed mostly fresh and salted (Ref. 188). Parasites found are acanthocephalan and nematodes (Ref. 37032).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Vulnerable (VU) (A2b)

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
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Ecology
Diet
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Food consumption
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Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
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Reproduction
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Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
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Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
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References
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Collaborators
Pictures
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Sounds
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Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD₅₀ = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
3.8 ±0.3 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.18; tm=4; Fec=45,800)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
Moderate to high vulnerability (51 of 100)

Price category (Ref. 80766)
Low

Alosa aestivalis (Mitchill, 1814)