11-97 



Rainbow Smelt 



Like the alewife and blueback, smelt are anadromous, spawning 

 in fresh water. Smelt apparently utilized New Haven Harbor's tribu- 

 taries to a very limited extent, except in 1973 when large numbers were 

 caught. When abundant, smelt provide good forage for striped bass, 

 shad, bluefish, and weakfish, and might be expected to have some impact 

 on the zooplankton species on which they feed. 



American Shad 



The American shad is an anadromous, planktivorous species 

 which spawns in the freshwater reaches of major streams and feeds in 

 marine waters on copepods such as Acartia and Temora. Occasional 

 catches indicate that a minor spawning run may possibly occur in the 

 Quinnipiac River; adults were caught in May and June 1976 and juveniles 

 have been caught irregularly in October and November. An alternative 

 hypothesis suggests that these fish were enroute to or from the Conn- 

 ecticut River, which supports an important shad run. The few individ- 

 uals caught in New Haven indicate little or no importance for the harbor 

 and its tributaries for this species. 



Bay Anchovy 



Bay anchovies are summer migrants that are routinely abundant 

 in New Haven Harbor between July and October. Anchovies spawn and 

 mature in New Haven Harbor during the summer months and depart in the 

 fall. The species is of no commercial significance, and is of concern 

 to sport fishermen only indirectly, as anchovy schools provide a sort of 

 "living chiom" for such recreational species as weakfish, striped bass,- 

 and bluefish. Because of their abundance, anchovies probably have a 

 major influence on the zooplankton populations on which they feed. 



