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.
Alosa 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. 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. Many are found in fresh water during spawning and some are only found in landlocked fresh water.
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 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.
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.
Alosa maeotica, known as the Black Sea shad or Azov shad, is a species of Alosid fish endemic to the Sea of Azov and the western part of the Black Sea basin. It is found in Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Alosa caspia is a species of alosid fish, one of the species of shad endemic to the Caspian Sea basin.
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.
Alosa sphaerocephala, or the Agrakhan shad, is a species of alosid (herring-like) fish, one of the endemic shad species in the Caspian Sea.
The Alosidae, or the shads, are a family of clupeiform fishes. The family currently comprises four genera worldwide, and about 32 species.
The Türkmenbaşy Gulf or Türkmenbaşy Aýlagy or Türkmenbaşy Bay is a bay of the Caspian Sea in the coast of Turkmenistan.
Thryssa stenosoma, the slender thryssa, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae. It is found in the eastern Indian Ocean.
Stolephorus advenus, the false Indian anchovy, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae. It is found in the western-central Pacific Ocean.
Stolephorus brachycephalus, the broadhead anchovy, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae. It is found in the western-central Pacific Ocean.
Stolephorus dubiosus, the Thai anchovy, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae. It is found in the western-central Pacific Ocean.
Stolephorus multibranchus, also known as Caroline anchovy, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae. It is found in the western-central Pacific Ocean.
Stolephorus apiensis, the Samoan anchovy, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean.
Stolephorus chinensis, the China anchovy, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean.
Stolephorus carpentariae, the Gulf of Carpenteria anchovy, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean.
Stolephorus pacificus, the Pacific anchovy, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae. It is found in the western-central Pacific Ocean.
