Alosa sapidissima (Wilson, 1811)

American shad

Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Classification	Actinopterygii \| Clupeiformes \| Clupeidae
Synonyms	Clupea sapidissima, Alosa praestabilis, ... more
Common names	Alose savoureuse, Sábalo americano, Herring jack, ... more

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Image of Alosa sapidissima (American shad)

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This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.

AquaMaps Data sources: GBIF OBIS

Main reference

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1985. (Ref. 188)
Other references | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 76.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 6885); 61.7 cm SL (female); common length : 50.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 188); max. published weight: 5,500 g (Ref. 7251); max. reported age: 13 years (Ref. 72462)

Environment

Pelagic-neritic; anadromous (Ref. 51243); freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 250 m (Ref. 6793)

Climate / Range

Temperate; 61°N - 22°N, 115°E - 59°W (Ref. 188)

North America: Newfoundland (Ref. 1998), the St. Lawrence River, and Nova Scotia southward to central Florida. Due to introductions into the Sacramento and Columbia Rivers, this species is now found from Cook Inlet, Alaska (Ref. 1998) to Baja California in Mexico and the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 19; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 18 - 24; Vertebrae: 51 - 60. Moderately compressed, belly with a distinct keel. Lower jaw not rising steeply within mouth. Gill rakers long and slender (fewer in young). Silvery in color with blue or blue-green metallic luster on back (Ref. 1998). A dark spot on shoulder, sometimes followed by several more, or even a second row. Resembles A. pseudoharengus with lower jaw rising steeply within mouth, eyes larger, and fewer lower gill rakers, as also A. aestivalis and A. mediocris (Ref. 188). Silvery, with a green or bluish back (Ref. 7251). Branchiostegal rays 7 (Ref. 4639).

Spend most of its life at sea, returning to freshwater streams to breed (Ref. 27547). Non-spawning adults are found in schools near the surface of continental shelf waters in spring, summer and fall (Ref. 7135); also found in brackish waters (Ref. 4607). Newly hatched larvae are found in rivers during the summer; by autumn they enter the sea and remain there until maturity. Juveniles form schools at 20-30 mm TL and gradually move downstream (Ref. 4639). Feed on plankton, mainly copepods and mysids, occasionally on small fishes. Feeding ceases during upstream spawning migration and resumes during the downstream post-spawning migration (Ref. 1998). Commercially caught in rivers and estuaries during spawning migration (Ref. 1998). Utilized fresh, salted, or smoked. The roe is esteemed. Eaten pan-fried, broiled, and baked (Ref. 9988). Possibly to 375 m depth (Ref. 6793). Parasites found are nematodes, Acanthocephala, copepods and distomes (Ref. 37032).


IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 57073)	Threat to humans
Not Evaluated	Harmless

Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes


More information
Countries FAO areas Ecosystems Occurrences Introductions Ecology Diet Food items Food consumption Ration	Common names Synonyms Metabolism Predators Ecotoxicology Reproduction Maturity Spawning Eggs Egg development	Age/Size Growth Length-weight Length-length Length-frequencies Morphometrics Morphology Larvae Larval dynamics Recruitment	Other references Biblio Aquaculture Aquaculture profile Strains Genetics Allele frequencies Heritability Diseases Processing	Collaborators Pictures Stamps Sounds Ciguatera Speed Swim. type Gill area Otoliths Brains Vision

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Internet sources

Estimation of some characteristics with mathematical models

Resilience (Ref. 69278)

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.14; tm=4.7)


Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)	Price category (Ref. 80766)
Moderate to high vulnerability (51 of 100)	Low

Entered by Binohlan, Crispina B.

Modified by Kesner-Reyes, Kathleen

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