Atlantic menhaden

Brevoortia tyrannus

Size: 20–38 cm · 100–700 g
Diet: Filter Feeder
Activity: Cathemeral
Sociality: Herd
Lifespan: —

A filter-feeding schooling fish of the North American Atlantic coast, central to coastal food webs.

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Key facts

Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) is a filter feeder animal classified as Fish · Clupeiformes · Clupeidae.
Primary habitats are coast · open ocean, with a range across Atlantic Ocean · Nearctic.
Activity is cathemeral, sociality is herd, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
A filter-feeding schooling fish of the North American Atlantic coast, central to coastal food webs.
Ranges along the western Atlantic coast from southern Canada to the eastern United States and northern Gulf waters, using bays and estuaries as nurseries.

Range

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

Ranges along the western Atlantic coast from southern Canada to the eastern United States and northern Gulf waters, using bays and estuaries as nurseries.

Appearance

The body is deep and silvery with a large dark shoulder spot. Smaller spots may trail along the sides.

Behavior

Dense schools swim near the surface and filter water with open mouths. Seasonal movements can cover long stretches of coast.

Feeding

It filters phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fine organic particles, sometimes influencing plankton and water clarity.

Reproduction

Adults spawn offshore, and larvae drift into estuaries and coastal nurseries before joining larger schools.

Notes

Menhaden are heavily used for fish oil, fish meal, and bait, and they are vital prey for striped bass, seabirds, and other predators.