Alosa

Last updated

Alosa
Temporal range: 55–0  Ma
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N

Eocene to present [1]
Alosa fallax.jpg
Twaite shad, Alosa fallax
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Clupeiformes
Family: Alosidae
Genus: Alosa
H. F. Linck, 1790
Species

See text.

Synonyms

Caspialosa
Pomolobus

Alosa [2] is a genus of fish, the river herrings, in the family Alosidae. Along with other genera in the subfamily Alosinae, they are generally known as shads. [3] [4] They are distinct from other herrings by having a deeper body and spawning in rivers. Several species can be found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Also, several taxa occur in the brackish-water Caspian Sea and the Black Sea basin. [5] Many are found in fresh water during spawning and some are only found in landlocked fresh water.

Contents

Fossil record

These fishes lived from the Eocene to Quaternary (from 55 million years ago to now). Fossils have been found in Canada, the United States, Greece, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Romania, and Italy. [6]

Fossil of Alosa elongata Clupeidae - Alosa elongata.JPG
Fossil of Alosa elongata

Appearance

Alosa species are generally dark on the back and top of the head, with blue, violet, or greenish tints. [5] Some can be identified as having a grey or green back. [5] Spots are commonly found behind the head, and the fins may vary from species to species or individually. [5] Most species of Alosa weigh 300 g (11 oz) or less, with A. pontica and A. fallax weighing up to 2 kg, and A. alosa can exceed 3–4 kg. [5]

Biology

Shads are thought to be unique among the fishes in having evolved an ability to detect ultrasound (at frequencies above 20 kHz, which is the limit of human hearing). [7] This was first discovered by fisheries biologists studying a type of shad known as blueback herring, and was later verified in laboratory studies of hearing in American shad. This ability is thought to help them avoid dolphins that find prey using echolocation. Alosa species are generally pelagic. [8] They are mostly anadromous or semianadromous with the exception of strictly freshwater landlocked species. [8] Alosa species are generally migratory and schooling fish. [8] Males usually mature about a year before females; they spawn in the late spring to summer. [9] [10] Most individuals die shortly after spawning. [9] [10] Alosa species seemingly can change readily to adapt to their environments, as species are found in a wide range of temperatures and waters. [10]

Lifecycle and reproduction

As Alosa species are generally anadromous, they face various obstacles to survival. [11] They may have to pass through numerous barriers and waters to get to either their spawning grounds or normal habitats (the sea in most cases). [11] Estuaries are a major factor in numerous Alosa species' migrations. [11] Estuaries can be highly variable and complex environments contributing to fluctuating biological interactions, [11] with shifts in osmolarity, food sources, predators, etc. [11] Since many adult Alosa species die after spawning, only the young generally migrate to the sea from the spawning grounds. [11] Duration of migration varies among fish, but can greatly affect survival. [11]

Reproduction varies by species. [5] Studies done on Alosa in Iranian waters have shown that spawning varies in time, place, and temperature of the waters they inhabit. [5] Fecundity may also vary. [5] Species are known to spawn as early as April or as late as August. [5] Temperatures range from about 11 to 27 °C. [5] Fecundity can range from 20,000 to 312,000 eggs. [5] Eggs are pelagic. [5] Geography and temperature are important environmental factors in egg and young-of-year development. [12]

The lifespan of Alosa species can be up to 10 years, but this is generally uncommon, as many die after spawning. [5]

Systematics

The systematics and distribution of Alosa shads are complex. The genus inhabits a wide range of habitats, and many taxa are migratory. A few forms are landlocked, including one from Killarney in Ireland, two from lakes in northern Italy, and two in Greece. Several species are native to the Black and Caspian Seas. Alosa species of the Caspian are systemically characterized by the number of rakers on the first gill arch. [13] They are classified as being "multirakered", "medium-rakered", or "oligorakered". [13] The multirakered are primarily plankton feeders, the oligorakered have large rakers and are predators, and the medium-rakered generally consume a mixed diet. [13] Most current species of the genus Alosa in North America can be found in Florida, whereas the distribution of most of them is broader. [14]

Morphology is notoriously liable to adapt to changing food availability in these fish. Several taxa seem to have evolved quite recently, making molecular analyses difficult. In addition, hybridization may be a factor in shad phylogeny. [15] Nonetheless, some trends are emerging. The North American species except the American shad A. sapidissima can probably be separated in a subgenus Pomolobus. Conversely, the proposed genus (or subgenus) Caspialosa for the Caspian Sea forms is rejected due to paraphyly. [15]

Species by geographical origin

North America

Western Europe and the Mediterranean

Caspian Sea, Black Sea, the Balkans

Recreational fishing

Commercial fishing

Commercial capture production of wild shad in tonnes. [16] [17]
1999200020012002200320042005200820102011201220132014
788,770860,346665,284589,692524,800569,160605,548588,978645,977611,371604,842628,622636,678

Management

Shad populations have been in decline for years due to spawning areas blocked by dams, habitat destruction, pollution, and overfishing. Management of shad has called for more conservative regulations, and policies to help the species have lower fishing mortality. [18]

Political significance

Shad serve a peculiar symbolic role in Virginia state politics. On the year of every gubernatorial election, would-be candidates, lobbyists, campaign workers, and reporters gather in the town of Wakefield, Virginia, for shad planking. American shad served as the focal point of John McPhee's book The Founding Fish. [19]

Culinary use

Shad roe Shad roe.jpg
Shad roe

The roe, or more properly the entire engorged uterus of the American shad—filled with ripening eggs, sautéed in clarified butter and garnished with parsley and a slice of lemon—is considered a great delicacy, and commands high prices when available. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Striped bass</span> Species of fish

The striped bass, also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has also been widely introduced into inland recreational fisheries across the United States. Striped bass found in the Gulf of Mexico are a separate strain referred to as Gulf Coast striped bass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alewife (fish)</span> Species of North American shad

The alewife is an anadromous species of herring found in North America. It is one of the "typical" North American shads, attributed to the subgenus Pomolobus of the genus Alosa. As an adult it is a marine species found in the northern West Atlantic Ocean, moving into estuaries before swimming upstream to breed in freshwater habitats, but some populations live entirely in fresh water. It is best known for its invasion of the Great Lakes by using the Welland Canal to bypass Niagara Falls. Here, its population surged, peaking between the 1950s and 1980s to the detriment of many native species of fish. In an effort to control it biologically, Pacific salmon were introduced, only partially successfully. As a marine fish, the alewife is a US National Marine Fisheries Service "Species of Concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American shad</span> Species of fish

The American shad is a species of anadromous clupeid fish naturally distributed on the North American coast of the North Atlantic, from Newfoundland to Florida, and as an introduced species on the North Pacific coast. The American shad is not closely related to the other North American shads. Rather, it seems to form a lineage that diverged from a common ancestor of the European taxa before these diversified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naugatuck River</span> River in Connecticut, United States

The Naugatuck River is a 40.2-mile-long (64.7 km) river in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Its waters carve out the Naugatuck River Valley in the western reaches of the state, flowing generally due south and eventually emptying into the Housatonic River at Derby, Connecticut and thence 11 miles (18 km) to Long Island Sound. The Plume and Atwood Dam in Thomaston, completed in 1960 following the Great Flood of 1955, creates a reservoir on the river and is the last barrier to salmon and trout migrating up from the sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skipjack shad</span> Species of fish

The skipjack herring is a North American, migratory, fresh- and brackish water fish species in the herring family Alosidae. The name skipjack shad comes from the fact that it is commonly seen leaping out of the water while feeding. Other common names include blue herring, golden shad, river shad, Tennessee tarpon, and McKinley shad. The skipjack shad is restricted to the Gulf of Mexico drainage basins. Skipjack are found in clear to moderately turbid water in areas with flow. Because they are a migratory species, dams often impede their reproduction. Records suggest that this species was much more abundant in the Upper Mississippi River basin before it was impounded. Currently, skipjack is most abundant in the Upper Mississippi River below the mouth of the Ohio River. They are known as an "early-run" species as they migrate to spawn in the early spring.

The hickory shad, fall herring, mattowacca, freshwater taylor or bonejack is a member of the family Alosidae, ranging along the East Coast of the United States from Florida to the Gulf of Maine. It is an anadromous fish species, meaning that it spawns in freshwater portions of rivers, but spends most of its life at sea. It is subject to fishing, both historic and current, but it is often confused with or simply grouped together with American shad in catch statistics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allis shad</span> Species of fish

The allis shad is a widespread Northeast Atlantic species of fish in the Alosidae family. It is an anadromous fish which migrates into fresh water to spawn. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the western Baltic Sea and the western Mediterranean Sea. In appearance it resembles an Atlantic herring but has a distinctive dark spot behind the gill cover and sometimes a row of up to six spots behind this. It sometimes hybridises with the twait shad. This fish becomes mature when three or more years old and migrates to estuaries, later swimming up rivers to spawn. Populations of this fish have declined due to overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction. Conservation of this species is covered by Appendix III of the Bern Convention and Appendix II and V of the European Community Habitats Directive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twait shad</span> Species of fish

The twait shad or twaite shad is a species of fish in the family Alosidae. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea and is an anadromous fish which lives in the sea but migrates into fresh water to spawn. In appearance it resembles an Atlantic herring but has a row of six to ten distinctive spots on its silvery flanks. They become mature when three or more years old and migrate to estuaries, later swimming up rivers to spawn. Populations of this fish have declined due to overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction. Conservation of this species is covered by Appendix III of the Bern Convention and Appendix II and V of the European Community Habitats Directive.

<i>Alosa macedonica</i> Species of fish

Alosa macedonica, or the Macedonian shad, is a landlocked species of alosid fish endemic to Greece. Its single natural occurrence is the freshwater Lake Volvi in northern Greece. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<i>Alosa caspia</i> Species of fish

Alosa caspia is a species of alosid fish, one of the species of shad endemic to the Caspian Sea basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shad fishing</span>

Shad is a type of fish, much valued as a sport fish. The male shad is an excellent game fish, showing multiple jumps and an occasional end-over-end; it has been called a "freshwater tarpon". The gravid female does not fight much, but is often kept for the roe. The current world record is listed by the IGFA as 11 pounds 4 ounces (5.1 kg), set at Holyoke Dam, Massachusetts, on 19 May 1986 by Robert A. Thibodo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blueback herring</span> Species of fish

The blueback herring, blueback shad, or summer shad is an anadromous species of herring from the east coast of North America, with a range from Nova Scotia to Florida. Blueback herring form schools and are believed to migrate offshore to overwinter near the bottom.

<i>Alosa agone</i> Species of fish

Alosa agone is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Alosa. It is an endangered species.

<i>Alosa braschnikowi</i> Species of fish

Alosa braschnikowi, the Caspian marine shad or Brazhnikov's shad, is one of the alosid fish species endemic to the Caspian Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pontic shad</span> Species of fish

The Pontic shad, also referred to as the Black Sea shad or Kerch shad, is a species of clupeid fish in the genus Alosa, native to the Black Sea and Sea of Azov basins.

Alosa kessleri, also referred to as the Caspian anadromous shad, the blackback, or the black-spined herring, is a species of alosid fish. It is one of the several species of shad endemic to the Caspian Sea basin.

The Killarney shad, also called the goureen, is a freshwater fish in the family Alosidae, endemic to a single lake in Ireland, Lough Leane in County Kerry. Research has shown that it is a landlocked subspecies of the anadromous, twait shad, arriving in the lake after the Last Glacial Maximum about 10,000 years ago. This fish is at risk from eutrophication and the introduction of alien species of fish to the lake and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as "critically endangered".

Alosa saposchnikowii, or the saposhnikovi shad, is a species of fish in the clupeid genus Alosa. It is one of the endemic species of this genus in the Caspian Sea area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama shad</span> Species of fish

The Alabama shad is an anadromous species of alosid fish endemic to the United States where it breeds in medium to large flowing rivers from the Mississippi River drainage to the Suwannee River, Florida, as well as some other Gulf coast drainages. The biology of this fish is little known but it has become increasingly rare. The International Union for Conservation of Nature rated it "near threatened" in 2020 and the United States National Marine Fisheries Service has listed it as a Species of Concern. A principal reason for its decline is thought to be the many locks and dams blocking access for the fish to up-river spawning grounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alosidae</span> Family of fishes

The Alosidae, or the shads, are a family of clupeiform fishes. The family currently comprises four genera worldwide, and about 32 species.

References

  1. Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology . 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  2. Alosa Linck, 1790 ITIS
  3. Alosinae ITIS
  4. Subfamily Alosinae [ permanent dead link ] FAO Fisheries Bulletin
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Coad, Brian (1997). "Shad in Iranian Waters" (PDF). Shad Journal . 2 (4): 4–7. ISSN   1094-4990. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-09-10. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  6. Paleobiology Database
  7. Mann, D. A.; Higgs, D. M.; Tavolga, W. N.; Souza, M. J.; and Popper, A. N. (2001). Ultrasound detection by clupeiform fishes. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 109:3048–3054
  8. 1 2 3 D. C. Bobori, E. T. Koutrakis and P. S. Economidis (2001). "Shad Species In Greek Waters – An Historical Overview And Present Status". Bulletin Français de la Pêche et de la Pisciculture. 362–363 (362–363): 1101–1108. doi: 10.1051/kmae:2001039 .
  9. 1 2 Ingram, Travis R. (2007). Age, growth and fecundity of Alabama shad (Alosa alabamae) in the Apalachicola River, Florida (M.Sc.). Clemson University. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 Bianco, P. G. (2002). "The Status of the Twaite Shad, Alosa agone, in Italy and the Western Balkans". Marine Ecology. 23, Supplement 1: 51–64. Bibcode:2002MarEc..23S..51B. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0485.2002.tb00007.x.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lochet, A., S. Boutry, and E. Rochard. Estuarine Phase during Seaward Migration for Allis Shad Alosa Alosa and Twaite Shad Alosa Fallax Future Spawners. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 18 (2009): 323-35.
  12. Alexander, Samantha B.; Schlick, CJ Carroll; de Mutsert, Kim (October 2020). "Growth models and growing degree-days: assessment of young-of-year Alewife and Blueback Herring in Potomac River tributaries". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 103 (10): 1179–1195. Bibcode:2020EnvBF.103.1179A. doi:10.1007/s10641-020-01012-4. ISSN   0378-1909. S2CID   220948739.
  13. 1 2 3 Malkin, E. M., and S. B. Andrianova. Biology and Traits of the Formation of Stock of Big-eyed Shad Alosa Saposchnikowii. Journal of Ichthyology 48.6 (2008): 443-51.
  14. Richard S. McBride (2000). Florida's Shad and River Herrings (Alosaspecies): A Review of Population and Fishery Characteristics. Florida MAR8INE Research Institute Technical Reports: Technical Report TR-5, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. St. Petersburg, Florida.
  15. 1 2 Faria, R.; Weiss, S.; and Alexandrino, P. (2006). A molecular phylogenetic perspective on the evolutionary history of Alosa spp. (Clupeidae).Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution40(1): 298–304. doi : 10.1016/j.ympev.2006.02.008 (HTML abstract).
  16. FAO (2006) Yearbooks of Fishery Statistics Summary Tables [ permanent dead link ]
  17. FAO (2014) Yearbook - Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics, no. 24.
  18. "Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: Shad". Archived from the original on 2013-04-14. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  19. "American Shad - Fish Reference Library - RedOrbit." RedOrbit - Science, Space, Technology, Health News and Information. 3 Apr. 2007. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. <http://www.redorbit.com/education/reference_library/science_1/fish/2579052/american_shad/index.html>.
  20. singlegirldin (2012-02-29). "The Beauty of Shad Roe". Honest Cooking. Retrieved 2022-07-25.