Menhaden have a dark, round shoulder spot followed by smaller spots arranged in somewhat horizontal rows. (Brian Gratwicke/Wikimedia Commons)
Atlantic menhaden is a silvery-blue herring with dark spots on the sides. Large schools of menhaden visit the Chesapeake Bay from spring through autumn.
Appearance:
Blue, bluish-green or bluish-brown body
Sides, fins and belly are silvery, often with a yellowish sheen
Dark, round shoulder spot followed by smaller spots arranged in somewhat horizontal rows
Projecting lower jaw
Deeply forked tail fin
Grows 14-18 inches long
Habitat:
Lives throughout the Chesapeake Bay
Forms large schools that swim just below the water’s surface
Range:
Visits the Bay from spring through autumn
Leaves the Bay for deeper, warmer ocean waters in winter
Juveniles sometimes overwinter in the Bay
Feeding:
Filter-feeder
Feeds by swimming rapidly to capture water in its open mouth, then filtering out plankton in the water
Predators:
One of the most important food sources for larger predators, including bluefish, weakfish, striped bass, sharks, mackerels, and fish-eating seabirds and mammals
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Spawns over the mid-Atlantic continental shelf in spring and autumn
Eggs hatch at sea. Larvae spend about two months there before drifting into the Bay and other estuaries
Larvae eventually move into brackish waters, where they grow rapidly throughout the summer
Can live 10-12 years
Other Facts:
The Bay is an important nursery area for juvenile menhaden because of its rich supply of plankton
Menhaden are so oily that they are nearly inedible for humans
Native Americans likely used menhaden to fertilize their corn fields. They called the fish “munnawhatteaug,” a word for fertilizer.
A large crustacean parasite is often found in menhaden mouths. This is why the fish are also called bugfish or bugmouth.
Although some people use it as bait, most menhaden caught in the Bay are processed for fish oil and livestock feed
Sources and Additional Information:
Fishes of Chesapeake Bay by Edward O. Murdy, Ray S. Birdsong and John A. Musick
