Family CLUPEIDAE 



THE HERRING FAMILY 



Herrings are rather elongated fishes of which numerous genera and 

 species are found in both salt and fresh water. The Atlantic herring and 

 the Pacific herring are members of this family, as are the common shad 

 of the Atlantic Coast and the true sardines. 



Key to Common Species of Family CLUPEIDAE 



Last dorsal ray not elongated; snout sharp; lower jaw jjrojecting 



Skipjack, Ponwlohus chrysochlori.'i Rafinesque 



Last dorsal ray greatly elongated; snout blunt; lower jaw not projecting 



Gizzard Shad, Dorosoma cepcdianinn (LeSueur) 



GENUS Fomolobus Rafinesque 



This genus contains a number of species found in fresh water and in 

 the sea, including the alewife of the Atlantic Coast. One species ascends 

 the upper waters of the Mississippi River. 



SKIPJACK (Blue Herring, Golden Shad) 

 Pomolobus chrysochloris Rafinesque 



None of our fishes is more entitled to the appellation "streamUned" 

 than the skipjack. The body is slender and elliptical, with a belly 

 keeled like a torpedo-boat chaser. The head is slender and pointed. 

 The lower jaw projects strongly. The caudal fin is deeply forked and 

 powerful. The back is a bright steel blue, the sides have golden reflec- 

 tions, and the belly is silver. Though the skipjack often attains a 

 length of 15 inches or more the average is considerably less — 8 to 10 

 inches. Even in perfectly clear water its movements are so extremely 

 swift that the eye can seldom follow them, and its coloration also helps 

 to obscure its movements. 



Before the construction of the Keokuk Dam this species was more or 

 less abundant in the Upper Mississippi at least as far up as Minneapolis 

 and in the St. Croix to Taylors Falls. It occurred in the Minnesota River 

 and was at one time more or less common in Big Stone Lake, where 

 Surber examined specimens in October 1920. During 1911-13 A, F. 

 Shira obtained many specimens in Lake Pepin which he forwarded to 

 the Fairport, Iowa, Biological Station for examination. There were 

 both adults and young, which would indicate that they spawned some- 

 where in that vicinity. Specimens taken prior to 1910 from Lake Pepin 

 and from the Minnesota River at Mankato are in the University of 

 Minnesota collections. Specimens were obtained from the Mississippi 



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