Atlantic herring
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From Fishing Words
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[edit] Species Name:
Atlantic herring
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[edit] Scientific Name:
(Clupea harengus) is the one of the most abundant species of fish on the planet.
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[edit] Basic Description:
The atlantic herring is longate and slender. It's back is dark blue-green with silvery sides and belly. The snout is blackish blue. There are no distinct dark spots on the body or fins. The lower jaw of the Atlantic herring is slightly longer than the upper jaw. Atlantic herring have a fusiform body. Gill rakers are present in their mouths to filter incoming water, trapping any zooplankton, or phytoplankton.
[edit] Size:
Maximum size 17.7 in (45 cm), but most fish captured in fish-eries are 11.8–13.8 in (30–35 cm).
[edit] Distribution and Habitat:
They can be found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean congregating together in large schools. They feed on copepods, krill and small fish, and their natural predators are seals, whales, cod and other larger fish.
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The Atlantic herring fishery has long been an important part of the economy of New England and the Canadian Maritime provinces. This is because the fish congregate relatively near to the coast in massive schools, notably in the cold waters of the semi-enclosed Gulf of Maine and Gulf of St. Lawrence. North Atlantic herring schools have been measured up to 4 cubic kilometers in size, containing an estimated 4 billion fish.
