Species learning profile
Atlantic herring
Clupea harengus
Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) is a saltwater fish associated with open ocean habitat in North Atlantic. Schools coordinate through vision and sound made by releasing bubbles.
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At a glance
- Água
- Água salgada
- Habitat
- Oceano aberto
- Comprimento máximo
- 45 cm
- Distribuição
- North Atlantic
- Família
- Clupeidae
- Ordem
- Clupeiformes
Observe
How to identify Atlantic herring
- Schools coordinate through vision and sound made by releasing bubbles.
- Guide context: open ocean habitat in North Atlantic.
- Reported maximum length: 45 cm — up to about the length of a guitar. Maximum is not the same as typical adult size.
Field note: color, size, and markings can change with age, sex, season, depth, and lighting. Use several traits together.
Place and pattern
Where it lives—and how it behaves
Habitat and range
This species is associated with open ocean habitat across North Atlantic. With little fixed shelter, currents, temperature fronts, depth, and moving prey define its open-ocean world.
Behavior
Forms vast migrating schools
Food-web connections
What it eats and why it matters
Diet
Plankton.
Ecological role
One of the North Atlantic's most important forage fishes.
Remember
One fact worth keeping
Atlantic herring pode chegar a cerca de 45 cm e costuma viver perto de Oceano aberto.
Think like a conservationist
A conservation lens
Wide-ranging ocean fish can cross many jurisdictions, so bycatch, harvest limits, and international cooperation matter.
This habitat lens is not a current population-status assessment. Status can differ among regions and change as new assessments are published; follow the reference links and local fisheries or wildlife agencies for current decisions.
Recall
Quick knowledge check
Which habitat is most closely associated with Atlantic herring in this guide?
Keep exploring
References and further reading
Fishdle summarizes stable identification and ecology concepts in plain language. Taxonomy and population knowledge continue to change, so use primary assessments and regional authorities for conservation or management decisions.
Make connections