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Physical Description:If you are seeking more information for the above species click on the VAFWIS logo (The Virginia Fish and Wildlife Information Service):References: Jenkins, R.E and N.M. Burkhead. 1993. Freshwater Fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.
- Large eye
- Mouth angled upward
- Eye diameter greater than snout length
- Moderately deep and compressed body
- Tongue has teeth
- Dorsal fin is small and its back edge is concave
- Tail fin is forked with asymmetrical lobes
- Anal fin is a little longer than the dorsal fin
- Pelvic fin is small
- Back color is typically gray-green in color
- Usually a dark spot on the shoulder in line with the eye
Similar species:- Blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis)
Mean body size:- Adults are 200-300 mm total length
Habitat:- School in fresh and salt water
- Found in the ocean, medium to large rivers, reservoirs and lakes
- Like cooler waters and tend to stay in deep water in the open water column
Distribution in VA:- All the major Chesapeake Bay tributaries in Virginia and reservoirs where it has been stocked
Food Habits:- Make daily vertical migrations to feed on the zooplankton
- Young feed on diatoms, copepods, and ostracods
- Larger fish also feed on shrimp and fish, squid, fish eggs, and their own larvae
Reproductive Habits:- In anadromous populations, females mature a year later than males
- Mature between ages 3 and 5
- Fecundity of oceanic female is 48,000 - 360,000 eggs
- Landlocked fish mature between 1 and 3 years of age
- Fecundity is between 13,200 and 49,200 eggs
- Spawning occurs from March to May in tidal freshwater streams and ponds
- After spawning, adults return to the sea
- Inland populations spawn from April to August in shallow areas of lakes and streams
- Adults pair during spawning and swim in spirals to the surface
- Eggs are nonadhesive and sink to the bottom of calm, still waters
Population Status, Economic, or Ecological Importance:- Stocked as a sportfish forage food
- Preys upon sportfish larvae and can cause a population decline