focus fishing

Blueback herring

SPECIES INFORMATION

  • The Blueback Herring stays in salt water migrate to fresh water to spawn. The Blueback Herring is an anadromous species. They are found in the Atlantic coast from northern Florida and to Nova Scotia. These migrate into the inland lakes and rivers.
  • The fishes are silver in colour and have a series of spiny, modified, and keeled scales on their bellies. These also have deep bluish green backs. The species has a dusky black colour on their peritoneum, which helps to distinguish them. The Blueback Herring is a migratory species. The Alewife and Blueback Herring are referred to as River Herring in the Atlantic coast of the US. The Blueback Herring will be born in the fresh water and it will then migrate to the ocean to live its adult life. It will then come back to the fresh water in order to reproduce.
  • Large dip nets are used to scoop out the fish from the constructed and shallow areas. This mostly happens when it migrates up the stream and rivers. The fish is also used for human consumption and it is usually smoked. The herrings are popular fishes and have a lot of commercial use. They are important as a forage fish for a variety of birds, fishes and some carnivores. The Blueback herring were used as a baitfish to catch the lobsters by the fishing industry.

SIZE

The typical size of the Blueback Herring reaches a length of 11 inches, which is equal to 27.5 cms. The maximum length reported is 15.7 inches or 40 cms. The weight of the Blueback Herring is approximately 7 oz or 200gms. The maximum lifespan of the Blueback Herring is eight years.

RANGE

The range of the Blueback Herring is along the Atlantic Coast. It ranges from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to the St. Johns River, Florida. In its spawning phase, it migrates into the coastal rivers.

HABITAT

The Blueback Herring spawns in the freshwater or the brackish water. Their eggs are pelagic in still water. The larva is found in the brackish and fresh water. The juvenile fishes leave the brackish and fresh nursery ground and they start to migrate to the sea. This happens when the fishes are roughly 5 cms or 2 inches in length.

The Blueback Herring deposits its eggs that get stuck to the hard objects like plants, gravel, and wood. In the lakes, the eggs get stuck to the gravel and clay or to some hard bottom. This is where the wave and the wind will keep the deposit clear.

The Blueback Herring is anadromous. They live in the marine system and spawn in deep and swift freshwater rivers that have hard substrates. The juvenile spends roughly three to seven months in the freshwater before they migrate.

A River Herring Conservation Plan is implementing to manage the Blueback Herring and the alewife.

DIET

The Blueback Herring feeds on copepods, small fishes and on small shrimps. The fish also consumes microscopic plants and animals, eggs of fish including bass, and small insects.

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