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Photo credit: Jim Negus, TN Wildlife Resources |
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| Alewife are a medium-sized, relatively deep bodied and laterally compressed fish. The species coloring is grayish green above, darkest on the dorsal surface, and silvery on the ventral surface and sides. There is often a dusky spot on adult fish that is located at eye level on either side, behind the margin of the gill cover. Alewife are distinguished from other Atlantic herring by differences in body depth, origin of the dorsal fin, coloration patterns, and serrations on the ventral surface midline. They also appear similar to young American shad, although there are differences in jaw length and projection, body shape, and numbers of gill rakers. Blueback herring are similar in appearance to alewife. However, they can be distinguished by differences in eye diameter, body depth, and the color of the peritoneum – the abdominal cavity membrane. |
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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? Though they are at risk in their native habitats, alewife are abundant in the Great Lakes, where they are not native. |
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Type: Fish |
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Diet: Juveniles feed on zooplankton. Adults feed on small fishes. |
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Average lifespan in the wild: 10 years |
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Size: 15 inches maximum |
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Weight: 4 lb maximum |
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Found in the following Estuarine Reserves: Wells (ME), Great Bay (NH), Waiquoit Bay (MA), Narragansett Bay (RI), Hudson River (NY), Jacques Cousteau (NJ), Delaware, Chesapeake Bay (MD and VA), North Carolina, N. Inlet-Winyah (SC), and ACE Basin (SC). |
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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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- Dams blocking access to habitat
- Habitat degradation
- Overharvesting of fisheries
- Bycatch
- Predation by striped bass
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Click map for larger image |
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