Herring fish fall under genus clupea and family clupeidae with about 200 species. The most prominent species are Atlantic herring or Clupea harengus and Pacific herring or Clupea pallasii. Given below are more fascinating facts about herring.


Herring Fast Facts


Herring Description: They are small and silver in color. Herring have a single dorsal fin, which do not contain spines unlike other fish. They have no lateral line. A few species of Herring have pointed scales. This marine fish are characterized by a protruding bottom jaw. They have a small head and slender, laterally flattened body. The tail is bifurcated.


Atlantic herring, the most common species, can grow until 18 inches long, while pacific herring reaches a length of 15 inches. Baltic herring is smaller than the other types and only reaches a length of 14 to 18cm. The Atlantic herring weighs an average of 1.50 pounds.


Habitat: Herring fish are found in the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans.


Lifespan: They live up to 12 to 16 years, although Southern herring reach 23 to 25 years.


Behavior: They are camouflaged in the water by their flashing silver colored bodies. This may protect them from predators, but humans use this characteristic to spot and capture them.


Diet: Herring eat tiny organisms like planktons. They actually keep their mouths open while they swim to filter the planktons through their gills.


Breeding: They spawn in December. Herring swim in schools with currents that move toward the shore, and disband after spawning.


Herring Nutritional Facts: They are an excellent source of Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, and have been a staple for humans since 3000BC.

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