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> Clupeiformes (Herrings) > Alosidae (Shads and Sardines)
Etymology: Alosa:Latin, alausa = a fish cited by Ausonius and Latin, halec = pickle, dealing with the Greek word hals = salt; it is also the old Saxon name for shad = "alli" ; 1591 (Ref. 45335). More on author: Linnaeus.
Environnement : milieu / zone climatique / profondeur / gamme de distribution Écologie
Northeast Atlantic: Norway to Morocco, the British Isles, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal; known to enter the southern Baltic Sea and western Mediterranean Sea at least until the Ebro River in Spain.
Longueur à la première maturité / Taille / Poids / Âge
Maturité: Lm47.8, range 45 - 50 cm Max length : 69.0 cm TL mâle / non sexé; (Ref. 10536); 83.0 cm TL (female); common length : 40.0 cm TL mâle / non sexé; (Ref. 2945); common length :70 cm TL (female); poids max. publié: 4.0 kg (Ref. 30578); âge max. reporté: 10 années (Ref. 10536)
Épines dorsales (Total) : 0; Rayons mous dorsaux (Total) : 18 - 21; Épines anales: 0; Rayons mous anaux: 20 - 27; Vertèbres: 57 - 58. Diagnosis: Body somewhat compressed, fairly deep with depth at pectoral fin more than head length, scutes apparent along belly (Ref. 188, 51442). Upper jaw with a distinct median notch, lower jaw fitting into it; no teeth on palatine and vomer; gillrakers long, thin and numerous, a total of 85 to 155 on first arch, longer than gill filaments (Ref. 188, 6683, 59043). A dark spot posterior to gill opening, but sometimes absent, sometimes followed by several small blotches (Ref. 188, 59043). Alosa alosa resembles Alosa fallax, which has fewer and shorter gillrakers and 7 or 8 black spots along flank (Ref. 188).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.
Amphihaline species, schooling and strongly migratory, penetrating far up rivers but not into small tributaries (Refs. 188, 59043). Adults are usually found in open waters along the coast (Ref. 51442). In freshwater, they inhabit major rivers but may also enter tributaries, if water temperature is equal to or is warmer than the main river (Ref. 188, 10536). Known lake populations from Morocco and Portugal need access to rivers to spawn (Refs. 10536, 89647, 89648). Larvae and small juveniles inhabit deep slow-flowing areas of rivers (Ref. 89649), some swimming upstream in late summer and autumn (Ref. 10536). Juveniles (up to 1+ years) are usually found near estuaries or river mouths (Refs. 10536, 59043), possibly making vertical diurnal movements synchronized with the tides; they remain in estuaries for over one year (Ref. 89630). Adults primarily feed on a wide range of planktonic crustaceans; larger individuals feed on small schooling fishes (Ref. 188, 51442, 59043). Juveniles in freshwater prey on insect larvae. Females in European rivers commonly reach 70 cm total length (Ref. 10536). Females grow faster and are always larger than males of the same age (Ref. 10536). Less common than Alosa fallax but both have suffered from pollution and weirs or other obstructions (Ref. 188). It has been suggested that members of the genus Alosa are hearing specialists with the American shad (Alosa sapidissima) having been found to detect and respond to sounds up to at least 180 kHz (Ref. 89631). This may aid in predator avoidance (e.g. cetaceans) (Ref. 89632). Hybridization with the twaite shad (Alosa fallax) has been reported from the Rhine (Ref. 89633) as well as from rivers in France and Algeria (Ref. 10536). Shad hybrids may reproduce (Ref. 27567). Marketed fresh and frozen; eaten sautéed, broiled, fried and baked (Ref. 9988).
Semelparous (Ref. 88808). Adults in the sea begin to move towards the coast in February and congregate near or in estuaries (Ref. 10536). They ascend rivers in April and May when water temperature is 9-12 °C, peaking at 13-16 °C. Adults may migrate up to 700 km from the sea into major rivers and occasionally into the largest tributaries of these rivers to spawn (Ref. 10536). Males migrate upriver at 3-9 years; females first reproduce 1-3 years later than males. Gametogenesis occurs during spawning migration.
Males arrive first in the upper reaches and occupy appropriate spawning sites, with females arriving 1-2 weeks later (Ref. 10536). Spawning sites are usually shallow areas (<1.5 m depth) of rivers near a confluence with strong currents and clean gravel bottoms (Refs. 188, 10536, 59043). Spawning occurs at night (over several nights), in large and very noisy schools that form near the surface.when water temperature reaches at least 15 °C and is believed to be optimal between 22-24 °C. (Ref. 88171). Coupling happens side by side, thrashing caudal fins on water surface and swimming in circles while expulsing eggs and sperms in the surrounding water. Eggs are fertilized in mid-water and then sink to the gravel bottom. Eggs hatch after 4-8 days (22-24 °C) (Ref. 89630). After spawning, adults return to the sea but many die before reaching it (Ref. 188, 51442, 59043). Only 5-6 % of the adults spawn more than once in their lifetime (Ref. 89655). After 3-4 months juveniles (8-12 cm length) move towards the sea until mature (Ref. 10536). Individual fish apparently return to their natal spawning site (Ref. 59043). Also Refs. 5744, 5745.
Whitehead, P.J.P., 1985. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 7. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the herrings, sardines, pilchards, sprats, shads, anchovies and wolf-herrings. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(7/1):1-303. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 188)
Statut dans la liste rouge de l'IUCN (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Cycle de vie Reproduction Maturité Maturité/épines rel. Fécondité Frai Agrégats de frai Œufs Développement de l'œuf Larves Dynamique des populations larvaires
Physiologie Composition corporelle Nutriments Consommation d'oxygène Type de natation Vitesse de nage Pigments visuels Son de poisson Maladies et parasites Toxicité (CL50)
