Details
Brevoortia tyrannus
A filter-feeding schooling fish of the North American Atlantic coast, central to coastal food webs.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Ranges along the western Atlantic coast from southern Canada to the eastern United States and northern Gulf waters, using bays and estuaries as nurseries.
The body is deep and silvery with a large dark shoulder spot. Smaller spots may trail along the sides.
Dense schools swim near the surface and filter water with open mouths. Seasonal movements can cover long stretches of coast.
It filters phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fine organic particles, sometimes influencing plankton and water clarity.
Adults spawn offshore, and larvae drift into estuaries and coastal nurseries before joining larger schools.
Menhaden are heavily used for fish oil, fish meal, and bait, and they are vital prey for striped bass, seabirds, and other predators.
