11-45 



Richards (1963) found that herring sampled in New Haven Harbor fed on 

 mysids {Neomysis americana) and various copepods, and stated that, if 

 present in large schools, the herring might have considerable impact as 

 a predator on these groups. 



Herring are fish of the open ocean, usually traveling widely 

 in schools of hundreds or thousands of individuals (Bigelow and Schroe- 

 der, 1953) . Numbers recorded from New Haven Harbor collections were 

 very small compared to commercial catches . Otter trawl catches of 

 several hundred to a thousand fish occurred at Station 5, near Long 

 Wharf. These large catches occurred in May and June from 1973 through 

 1975 (Figure 11-14) and consisted of young fish (3 to 8 cm long) about 

 to enter their second year (Figure 11-15) (Bigelow and Schroeder, 

 1953). 



Occasionally, single herring have been observed impinged on 

 the traveling screens of New Haven Harbor Station. Data from other Long 

 Island Sound facilities are comparable. 



Judging from the ichthyoplankton data, spawning appears to 



occur locally in mid-winter. Peak larval densities have been recorded 



3 



in March and April (0.003 to 0.03 individuals per m ). The Port Jeffer- 



son facility has reported approximately 0.05 herring larva per m' 

 during June and July, 1976, Large local differences in spawning season 

 are typical of this species (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953). The eggs are 

 deposited over hard bottom to sink and adhere readily to any substrate; 

 this demersal trait undoubtedly accounts for the absence of herring eggs 

 in New Haven Harbor ichthyoplankton collections. The low observed 

 density of larvae is similar to observations by Wheatland (1956) in Long 

 Island Sound. 



Menhaden (Brevoort-ia tyvannus) 



More than any other herring-like fish, menhaden (particularly 

 juveniles) are encountered in large schools close to shore where they 



(Text continued on page 11-49) 



