Hickory Shad

Alosa mediocris

The hickory shad has a thin, grayish-green body and an iridescent silver belly and sides. Adults have:

• A dark shoulder spot followed by several obscure spots.
• Large, easily shed scales that come together to form a saw-toothed edge on the belly.
• A strongly projecting lower jaw.

Hickory shad can grow to about 2 feet long.

Where do hickory shad live?

Hickory shad enter the Chesapeake Bay in spring to spawn in the Bay's tidal freshwater tributaries. It is believed that they leave the Bay for coastal ocean waters soon after spawning.

What do hickory shad eat?

Hickory shad feed on squids, small fishes, fish eggs and crustaceans.

How do hickory shad reproduce?

Hickory shad are anadromous fish. They spawn in tidal freshwater tributaries throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed from May through early June.

• Spawning takes place between dusk and midnight.
• After spawning, adults move downstream and leave the Bay.
• Once they hatch, young hickory shad grow quickly as they gradually move downstream through the spring and summer.
• Most young migrate out of the Bay to the ocean in the fall.

Other facts about hickory shad:

• Hickory shad can be confused with American shad and other Alosa species. You can distinguish a hickory shad by its strongly projecting lower jaw.
• Hickory shad have probably never been abundant in the Bay because the Chesapeake is near the fish's northern limits.