A member of the herring family, the Atlantic menhaden is a hugely important commercial species; greater numbers of this fish are taken each year by commercial fishermen than of any other fish in the United States. Excessive fishing, however, has caused population declines.
Identification
The Atlantic menhaden has a deep and compressed body, a big bony head, and a large mouth, with a lower jaw that fits into a notch in the upper jaw. It also has adipose eyelids, which make it appear sleepy. It has a dark blue back, silvery sides with an occasional reddish or brassy tint, pale yellow fins edged in black, a dark patch on the shoulder, and two or three scattered rows of smaller spots.Size
The Atlantic menhaden can reach a length of 1.5 feet.Life history/Behavior
Atlantic menhaden form large and very compact schools, consisting of both young and adult fish; this makes them vulnerable to commercial fishermen, some of whom use spotter planes to locate the schools and direct commercial vessels to the fish, which are then encircled.Menhaden have distinct seasonal migrations—northward in April and May and southward in the early fall. Spawning occurs year-round, although not in the same locations at the same time. For example, because high water temperatures are detrimental to breeding, the peak spawning season off the southern coast of the United States is October through March.
Egg estimates for each female run in the tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. They are free floating and hatch at sea. Once hatched, the offspring are carried into estuaries and bays, which serve as sheltered nursery areas in which young Atlantic menhaden spend their first year. The fish mature between their first and third years.
