Atlantic menhaden

The Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) is a North American species of fish in the herring family, Alosidae.

Atlantic menhaden are found in North Atlantic coastal and estuarine waters from Nova Scotia south to northern Florida. They are commonly found in all salinities of the Chesapeake Bay and Mid-Atlantic water. They swim in large schools that stratify by size and age along the coast. Younger and smaller fish are found in the Chesapeake Bay and southern coastline while older, larger fish are found along the northern coastline.

Behaviour

The Atlantic menhaden is a filter feeder; it collects food by filtering water through modifications of the branchial apparatus (gill arches and gill rakers). Its diet depends on the size of their gill rakers, which change as menhaden age. When the rakers are smaller (typically less than 1 year old) Atlantic menhaden feed primarily on zooplankton. As they age and their gill rakers grow larger, menhaden shift their diet to primarily consume phytoplankton.