Menhaden

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iMenhaden

Gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Clupeiformes
Family:	Clupeidae
Genus:	Brevoortia and Ethmidium

Species

See text.

Menhaden are fish of the genera Brevoortia and Ethmidium, two genera of marine fish in the family Clupeidae.

1 Genus Brevoortia
2 Description
3 Range
4 Life history
5 Diet
6 Commercial importance and overfishing
7 Genus Ethmidium
8 References

[edit] Genus Brevoortia

[edit] Description

Image:Brevoortia tyrannus1.jpg

Gulf menhaden and Atlantic menhaden are characterized by a series of smaller spots behind the main, Humeral spot and larger scales than Yellowfin menhaden and Finescale menhaden. In addition, Yellowfin menhaden tail rays are a bright yellow in contrast to those of the Atlantic menhaden, which are grayish. Menhaden range in weight up to one pound or more. At sea, schools of Atlantic menhaden may contain millions of members. Common names for Atlantic menhaden are mossbunkers, and fatback. In Florida, yellowfin menhaden are called pogies, and are the preferred species for use as strip-bait.

[edit] Range

Gulf menhaden range from the Yucatan peninsula to Tampa Bay, Florida, finescale menhaden from the Yucatan to Louisiana, yellowfin menhaden from Louisiana to North Carolina. The Atlantic menhaden ranges from Jupiter Inlet, Florida, to Nova Scotia. The various species of menhaden occur anywhere from estuarine waters outwards to the continental shelf.

[edit] Life history

Spawning occurs off-shore, peaking in December and January, continuing through March for Atlantic menhaden. Eggs hatch at sea and currents carry the larvae in to estuarine waters where they spend the early part of their lives. Beginning at age one, menhaden leave the estuaries for open waters where they spawn before returning to the coast. Small menhaden are often referred to as "peanut bunker".

[edit] Diet

Menhaden are essentially filter feeders, straining microscopic plankton, algae etc., from the water they swim through open-mouthed. Unlike mullet, they are not bottom feeders. Due to their feeding habits, they must be caught by cast netting to be used as live bait.

[edit] Commercial importance and overfishing

Menhaden are not used for human consumption. They die quickly, and spoil rapidly if not immediately gutted and iced.

However, menhaden are the primary source of fishmeal, used as food for poultry and for pen-raised fish such as salmon. Large factory ships can destroy entire schools of baitfish in a single operation, and overfishing has led to disease and severe reduction in populations of larger predatory fish and mammals who depend on large menhaden populations, including the striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, Spanish and king mackerel, seals, and whales. Because of their schooling behavior, they also are a favorite target for common loon, herons, egrets, ospreys and eagles.

Most recently mehaden has begun to be exploited as a source of Omega-3 fatty acid fish-oil for commercial human consumption, further threatening menhaden populations.