The American shad is a thin, silvery river herring with a large, dark shoulder spot followed by several smaller, paler spots. (Shermon Foote Denton)
The American shad is a river herring with a thin, silvery body and spots on the shoulder. It visits the Chesapeake Bay each spring to spawn in freshwater rivers and streams.
Appearance:
Thin, silvery body that varies in color from greenish to dark blue
Large, dark shoulder spot followed by several smaller, paler spots
Large, easily shed scales that come together at the belly to form a saw-toothed edge
Deeply forked tail fin
Usually grows to 20 inches long, but can be up to 30 inches long and weigh as much as 12 pounds
Habitat:
Lives in coastal ocean waters
Spawns in freshwater rivers and streams
Range:
Visits the Chesapeake Bay each spring to spawn in freshwater rivers, including the James, Potomac and Susquehanna
After spawning, shad move downstream. They leave the Bay by summer.
Feeding:
While in the ocean, American shad feed on plankton, crustaceans and small fish
Stop feeding once they begin their upstream spawning migration
Predators:
Larger predatory fish such as bluefish and striped bass
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Shad are anadromous, meaning they live in the ocean and spawn in freshwater rivers
In spring, migrates to the freshwater river where it was born to spawn
The female lays 100,000-600,000 eggs, which drift downstream and hatch before reaching salt water
After spawning, adults either die or return to the ocean
Young of the year remain in fresh and brackish waters, where they grow rapidly while feeding on copepods and insect larvae
In early autumn, young leave the Bay for the ocean. They remain there for several years before returning to the Bay’s rivers to spawn.
Lives 6-10 years
Other Facts:
Also known as white shad
American shad is the largest and most well-known shad species
Shad roe (eggs) was once considered a delicacy in the Chesapeake region
Shad even have a tree named after them! The shadbush blooms in spring, around the same time the fish return to the Bay’s rivers to spawn.
Sources and Additional Information:
Fishes of Chesapeake Bay by Edward O. Murdy, Ray S. Birdsong and John A. Musick
