Alewife
📖 Overview
Adults occur in open water over all bottom types . Movement of schooling adults apparently restricted to coastal areas proximal to natal estuaries . They migrate up rivers and even small streams to spawn in lakes and quiet stretches of rivers, then return to sea shortly after spawning ; landlocked populations also ascend affluent rivers and streams. Larvae remain in vicinity of spawning grounds, forming schools at sizes less than 10 mm TL, within one to two weeks after hatching , then descend in summer and autumn or even as late as November or December. Adults feed on shrimps and small fishes; the young on diatoms, copepods and ostracods while in rivers. Utilized fresh, dried or salted, smoked and frozen; eaten fried . Also used for crab and lobster bait and sometimes for pet food . Parasites found are Acanthocephala, cestodes, trematodes and copepods. Overfishing, pollution and impassable dams cause the decline of stocks .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Moderately compressed, belly with a distinct keel of scutes. Lower jaw rising steeply within mouth; minute teeth present at front of jaws (disappearing with age). Lower gill rakers increasing with age. A dark spot on shoulder. Distinguished from A. aestivalis by its silvery peritoneum; eye larger than snout length; back greyish green on capture.: fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Alewife is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Alewife is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Adults migrate up rivers and even small streams, spawn in lakes and quiet stretches of rivers; landlocked populations also ascend affluent rivers and streams; the fry descend in summer and autumn or even as late as November or December. Spawning activity has been observed both diurnally and nocturnally, but with greatest activity at night . Spawning activity stops above 27.8°C . Freshwater populations mature earlier and at a smaller average size than saltwater populations .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; freshwater; brackish; pelagic-neritic; anadromous ; depth range 5 - 145 m , usually 56 - 110 m . Temperate; 55°N - 34°N, 93°W - 53°W North America: Atlantic coast from Red Bay, Labrador in Canada to South Carolina in USA; many landlocked populations exist.
🌿 Ecology
shrimps and small fishes; the young on diatoms, copepods and ostracods while in rivers
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Alewife is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 19.4 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 1,410 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Alewife has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Alewife · Anadromous Alewives · Big-eyed Herring · Bigeye Herring · Branch Herring · Clipped Roefish · Corned Alewives · Ellwife · Freshwater Herring · Golden Shad · Gray Herring · Grayback · Green-Back · Greyback · Kiack · Kyack · Kyak · Mooneye · River Herring · Sawbelly · White Herring · ale-wife · gaspareau · gaspereau · sawbellies |
| 🌍CES | Placka atlantická · placka velkooká |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Flodsild · Majsild · Stamsild |
| 🇩🇪German | Maifisch |
| 🌍ELL | Frissa · Sardellomána |
| 🌍EST | Hallselg-aloosa |
| 🇫🇮Finnish | Harmaasilli · Kantasilli |
| 🇫🇷French | Alose gaspareau · Gapareau · Gasparot · Gasperot · gaspareau |
| 🌍ISL | Augnasíld |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Alaccia · Falsa-aringa atlantica |
| 🇰🇷Korean | 회색청어 |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | Amerikaanse rivierharing |
| 🌍NOB | Maisild |
| 🇵🇱Polish | Aloza wielkooka · aloza teczowa |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Alosa-cinzenta |
| 🌍RON | Hering de primavara |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Bol'sheglazyi pomolob · Элевайф · сероспинка |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Alosa · Pinchagua |
| 🌍SRP | Lojka · Scepa |
| 🇸🇪Swedish | Gumsill |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 淡水大眼鯡 · 灰西鯡 |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clupea megalops | Rafinesque | 1818 | Synonym |
| Clupea parvula | Mitchill | 1814 | Synonym |
| Clupea pseudoharengus | Wilson | 1811 | Synonym |
| Clupea vernalis | Mitchill | 1815 | Synonym |
| Clupea virescens | DeKay | 1842 | Synonym |
| Meletta venosa | Valenciennes | 1847 | Synonym |
| Pomolobus pseudoharengus | Wilson | 1811 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 162 records indexed .
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