Country Species Summary

Alosa pseudoharengus in USA (contiguous states)
Alewife

Alosa pseudoharengus (Wilson, 1811)
Family:	Clupeidae (Herrings, shads, sardines, menhadens)	picture (Alpse_u0.jpg) by Scarola, J.F.
Order:	Clupeiformes (herrings)
Class:	Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
FishBase name:	Alewife
Max. size:	40.0 cm SL (male/unsexed; Ref. 7251); max. published weight: 200 g (Ref. 7251); max. reported age: 9 years
Environment:	pelagic-neritic; anadromous ; depth range 5 - 145 m
Climate:	temperate; 51°N - 34°N
Global Importance:	fisheries: commercial; bait: occasionally
Resilience:	Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.2; tm=3.6; Fec=2,180)
Distribution:	North America: Atlantic coast from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Nova Scotia to North Carolina and in streams and rivers; also occurs in Lake Seneca and Cayuga; introduced into Lake Ontario, now landlocked there and in Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior.
Diagnosis:	Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0. 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.
Biology:	Movement of schooling adults apparently restricted to coastal areas proximal to natal estuaries (Ref. 4639). They migrate up rivers and even small streams to spawn in lakes and quiet stretches of rivers, then return to sea shortly after spawning (Ref. 4639); 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 (Ref. 4639), then descend in summer and autumn or even as late as November or December. 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 (Ref. 9988). Also used for crab and lobster bait and sometimes for pet food (Ref. 9988). Parasites found are Acanthocephala, cestodes, trematodes and copepods. Overfishing, pollution and impassable dams cause the decline of stocks (Ref. 37032)
Threatened:	Not Evaluated, see IUCN Red List , (Ref. 36508)
Dangerous:	harmless
Coordinator:
Main Ref:	Whitehead, P.J.P.. 1985. (Ref. 188)
Update \| Add

USA (contiguous states) country information
Common names:	Alewife, Bigeye herring, Branch herring, Freshwater herring, Gray herring, Grayback, Kyak, Sawbelly, White herring, Clipped roefish, Corned alewives, River herring	Ref: Randolph, S. and M. Snyder, 1993
Status:	native	Ref: Jones, P.W., F.D. Martin and J.D. Hardy, Jr., 1978
Salinity:	freshwater, brackish, marine
Importance:	minor commercial	Ref: FAO, 1992
Uses:	no uses
Comments:	Present in the continental shelf waters off the northeastern United States (Ref. 37512, 10294). Virtually all streams tributary to Chesapeake Bay; also found inVirginia, Delaware, and New Jersey (Ref. 4639). Also Ref. 188.
States/Provinces:	Delaware (native) Michigan (native) New Jersey (native) North Carolina (native) Tennessee (native) Virginia (native)
States/Provinces Complete?:	No
Country Information:	www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html
National Fisheries Authority:	www.nmfs.gov
Occurrences:	Occurrences Point map
Main Ref:	Etnier, D.A. and W.C. Starnes, 1993
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Modified: Ortañez, Auda Kareen

Entered: Carpenter, Kent E.

CGNET - US

Page created by: Eli, 20.10.03, last modified by Eli, 26.06.07

	Ref.:		Glossary
		(e.g. 9948)		(e.g. cephalopods)
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