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Clupeidae
HERRINGS
Shads; Sardines; Menhadens

Life   Vertebrata   Fish

Odontognathus panamensis
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Odontognathus panamensis
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Odontognathus
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Odontognathus
Pliosteostoma lutipinnis
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Pliosteostoma lutipinnis

Pliosteostoma
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Pliosteostoma
Pliosteostoma lutipinnis
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Pliosteostoma lutipinnis

Opisthonema medirastre
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Opisthonema medirastre
Lile stolifera
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Lile stolifera

Lile nigrofasciata
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Lile nigrofasciata
Lile stolifera
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Lile stolifera

Opisthopterus macrops
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Opisthopterus macrops
Opisthopterus dovii
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Opisthopterus dovii

Opisthopterus dovii
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Opisthopterus dovii
Opisthopterus
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Opisthopterus

Opisthopterus dovii
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Opisthopterus dovii
Opisthopterus equatoralis
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Opisthopterus equatoralis

Neoopisthopterus tropicus
© Copyright Ross Robertson, 2006 · 12
Neoopisthopterus tropicus
Etrumeus
© Copyright Gerald Allen, 2006 · 0
Etrumeus

Etrumeus teres
© Copyright Gerald Allen, 2006 · 0
Etrumeus teres
Sardinops sagax sagax
© Copyright Photographer/SFTEP, 2002 · 0
Sardinops sagax sagax

Sardinops
© Copyright Photographer/SFTEP, 2002 · 0
Sardinops
Clupeidae
© Copyright Gerald Allen, 2006 · 0
Clupeidae

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IDnature guides
Kinds

Overview Main identification features FAMILY CLUPEIDAE

HERRINGS, MENHADENS, PILCHARDS, PIQUITINGAS, SARDINES, SHADS, THREAD-HERRINGS

Clupeids are generally small silvery fishes that are easily recognised by their keel of scutes (hardened spiny scales) that form a keel along the belly, and small, often poorly toothed mouths. Other features include a single dorsal fin that is located over the middle of the body; a forked tail fin; usually a short anal fin located well to the rear; pelvic fins on the abdomen below the dorsal fin; pectoral fins low on the side just behind the head; and no fin spines.

Herrings and their relatives are of major importance to fisheries; they constitute about half of the world's catch of fishes. Clupeids are found in most shallow- water habitats including fresh water, brackish estuaries, coastal embayments, and oceanic reefs. They occur in all warm and cold seas. Most are found in schools that may contain hundreds to thousands of individuals. Zooplankton, often crustaceans, is the major dietary item for most clupeids. There are about 227 species in 66 genera; 11 species in 7 genera occur in the tropical eastern Pacific.



References



Acknowledgements

I thank Ashley MacDonald and John Pickering, University of Georgia, for technical support in building this page.


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