Atlantic Menhaden
Brevoortia tyrannus
Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) are a relatively oily fish and are harvested for a number of uses, including pet food and health supplements. (Photo by Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
A juvenile, top, and larval stage Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) are compared. (Photo by Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
Atlantic menhaden grow to be 14-18 inches long. (Photo by Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
Menhaden grow 14-18 inches long. (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
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
The Atlantic menhaden has a blue, bluish-green or bluish-brown body. It grows to 14 to 18 inches in length. Its sides, fins and belly are silvery, often with a yellowish sheen. A dark, round spot on its shoulder is followed by smaller spots arranged in somewhat horizontal rows. It has a projecting lower jaw and a deeply forked tail fin.
Feeding
The menhaden is a filter-feeder that feeds by swimming rapidly to capture water in its open mouth, then filtering out plankton in the water.
Predators
Menhaden are 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
Spawning occurs 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. Menhaden can live 10 to 12 years.
Did You Know?
- 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
- Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
- Maryland Fish Facts: Atlantic Menhaden – Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Animal Diversity Web: Brevoortia tyrannus – University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- Menhaden – Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Quick Facts
Species
Native
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Size
14 to 18 inches in length -
Habitat
Live throughout the Chesapeake Bay, forming large schools that swim just below the water’s surface.
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Range
Visit the Bay from spring through autumn, leaving for deeper, warmer ocean waters in winter. Juveniles sometimes overwinter in the Bay.
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Diet
Filter feeder -
Lifespan
10 to 12 years -
Status
Stable