Allis shad (Alosa alosa)

Scientific name: Alosa alosa Linnaeus, 1758

Allis shad (Alosa alosa)

The Allis shad (Alosa alosa) is a freshwater fish of the family Clupeidae.

Biology

Amphihaline species, spending most of its life in sea; at sea, pelagic, in deep water down to 300 meters; juveniles resides close to the shore and estuaries. Schooling and strongly migratory species, penetrating far up rivers, spawning in main river or entering large and warm tributaries; spawning sites usually situated near a confluence. Males migrate upriver at 3-9 years; females first reproduce 1-3 years later than males. Adult individuals approach coasts at end of February and enter rivers when 22-24?C is reached, usually in May. Spawning starts at when 15?C is reached; spawns in large, very noisy schools at night near the surface; eggs sink to the bottom. Spent fish migrate back to the sea, and most die after reproduction, having mated once. Most juveniles migrate to river mouth during first summer to remai

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Alosa alosa
Family
Clupeidae (Herrings, shads and sardines)
Order
Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
83.0
Common length
40.0
Depth range
5 m (16 ft)
Environment
Marine; freshwater; brackish; pelagic-neritic; anadromous; depth range 5 - ? m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: from Bergen (Norway) along the coasts of Europe to northern Mauritania in Africa. Also in western part of Mediterranean Sea. Reported from the western part of the Baltic Sea up to the Kaliningrad Oblast. Appendix III of the Bern Convention (protected fauna).
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.19-0.29; tm=3.5; tmax=10)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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