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Photo credit: Jacob Schaefer, Univ. Southern Miss. |
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| Alabama shad are a medium sized silvery gold schooling fish with a greenish-blue colored back. They can be distinguished from their close relatives by a distinct notch in the middle of their upper jaw. The lower jaw does not protrude beyond the upper jaw. Black spots are present along the lower jaw. The dorsal fin lacks an elongated filament trailing behind like a streamer. The number of gill rakers on the lower limb of the front gill arch is 41 to 48. Alabama shad have one row of bony “teeth” on their tongue that help to manipulate food. |
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| Learn More... |
- Conservation Notes: This section includes information on threats to this species, its importance to humans and estuaries and how you can help to protect this species
- Profile: This section includes biological and life history information such as the species description, relatives, size/weight, diet, reproduction information, habitat and range.
- References: This section includes the list of articles and books cited in the information about the species.
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Did you know? Alabama shad have one row of “teeth” on their tongue. |
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Type: Fish |
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Diet: Larval fishes and invertebrates |
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Average lifespan in the wild: 6 years |
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Size: 18 inches (adult female maximum) |
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Weight: 4 lb (maximum) |
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Found in the following Estuarine Reserves: Apalachicola (FL) and Weeks Bay (AL) |
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Water quality factors needed for survival: Find details about water temperature, turbidity, water flow, salinity, dissolved oxygen at this link. |
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Threats: |
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- Locks and dams that block access to habitat
- Poor water quality
- Siltation
- Habitat alteration
- Dredging
- Bycatch
- Loss of cool freshwater refuges when water temperatures rise
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Click map for larger image |
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