Menhaden

Menhaden are small silver fish.

They swim in big, tight groups. These fish eat tiny things in the water. They act like a filter. They take in water to find food.

Small fish eat tiny plants. Big fish eat the menhaden. Many birds eat them too. They are a key part of the food chain.

People use these fish for oil. This oil can be used in food. It is even used in lipstick!

These fish help keep the water clean. They eat plants that can grow too much. They are very important to the sea.

Menhaden are small, silver fish. They have flat bodies and forked tails. These fish live in large, tight groups called schools.

Menhaden are filter feeders. This means they eat by straining food from the water. They swim with their mouths open to catch tiny things. Young fish eat tiny plants called phytoplankton. As they grow, they eat tiny animals called zooplankton. This way of eating helps keep the water clean. They eat the plants that cause harmful algal blooms.

These fish are a keystone species. A keystone species is a living thing that helps hold an ecosystem together. Many animals need menhaden to live. Sharks, tuna, and striped bass eat them. Many birds, like pelicans and herons, eat them too.

People do not eat menhaden directly. Instead, they make fish oil from them. This oil has omega-3 fatty acids. These are healthy fats that help the human heart. This oil is also used in animal feed and even lipstick.

Caption: Many young menhaden live in the Chesapeake Bay.

Menhaden are small, silver fish that play a huge role in the ocean. Some people call them the most important fish in the sea. They have flat bodies and deeply forked tails. These fish belong to two groups called genera, Brevoortia and Ethmidium. They are often found in large, slow-moving schools.

Because they are so important, they are called a keystone species. This means they help hold their entire environment together.

These fish are filter feeders, which is a way of eating by straining food from the water. They swim with their mouths open to catch tiny things in the sea. Small menhaden under one year old mostly eat phytoplankton, which are tiny plants. As they grow into adults, they switch to eating zooplankton, which are tiny animals. This eating habit helps clean the water. By eating phytoplankton, they help stop harmful algal blooms from growing too much.

Menhaden have a long history with people. The name menhaden comes from an Algonquian word. It relates to how people used the fish as fertilizer for crops. It is believed that Tisquantum, also known as Squanto, told the Pilgrims to plant menhaden with their crops. In the 1870s, people found menhaden oil could be used instead of whale oil. During that time, crews of African-American men worked on boats to catch them. They even sang special sea chanties to help them pull in the nets.

There are many different kinds of menhaden in different places. The Atlantic menhaden live from Florida up to Nova Scotia. They move along the coast during different seasons. In June, the adults are usually in the north. The younger fish stay in the southern parts. Other types, like the Brazilian menhaden, live in South America. Scientists use DNA to group them into large-scaled and small-scaled types.

Even though people do not eat menhaden directly, they are very useful. They are processed into fish meal and fish oil. This oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are healthy fats. These fats can help a person's heart stay healthy. This oil is also used in animal feed for chickens and guinea pigs. It is even used as a material for making lipstick.

Many big animals like sharks, tuna, and pelicans rely on menhaden for food too.

Menhaden are small, oily-fleshed marine fish belonging to the order Clupeiformes. They are found in two different genera: Brevoortia and Ethmidium. Many people call them "the most important fish in the sea." This is because they act as a keystone species. A keystone species is an organism that holds an entire ecosystem together. Without them, the food web could fall apart. They serve as a vital link between tiny organisms and large predators.

These fish are omnivorous filter feeders. They swim in large, slow-moving, and tightly packed schools. To eat, they swim with their mouths open to strain food from the water. They take in materials in the same proportions as they occur in the surrounding water. A menhaden's diet changes as it grows older. Small fish under one year old eat mostly phytoplankton, which are tiny photosynthetic organisms. As they reach adulthood, they switch to eating almost exclusively zooplankton. This process transfers energy from microscopic life to much larger animals.

Scientists use DNA comparisons to organize North American menhadens into two main groups. The first group is large-scaled menhaden, which includes the Gulf and Atlantic species. The second group is small-scaled menhaden, which includes the Finescale and Yellowfin species. There are seven distinct species within the two genera. The genus Brevoortia contains species like the Atlantic menhaden and the Brazilian menhaden. The genus Ethmidium includes the Pacific menhaden. These species live in many areas, from estuaries to the continental shelf.

Menhaden play a massive role in the health of the ocean. By eating phytoplankton, they help mitigate toxic algal blooms. These blooms can create hypoxic conditions, which are areas with very little oxygen. This can be harmful to many marine species. Menhaden also provide food for many predators. This includes fish like striped bass, tuna, and sharks. It also includes birds like ospreys, pelicans, and herons. They redistribute a significant amount of energy between estuaries and the coastal ocean.

Humans use menhaden in several ways, though we do not eat them directly. They are processed into fish meal and fish oil. The oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids. These fats can help lower blood pressure and reduce the chance of heart attacks. This oil is also used in animal feed for chickens and guinea pigs. It is even used as a raw material for making lipstick. There are two main types of commercial fisheries. One is a reduction fishery, and the other is a bait fishery. The total annual harvest is approximately 500 million fish.

Overfishing has caused serious problems for menhaden populations. In 2012, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission declared the Atlantic menhaden were depleted. This was due to overfishing and poor water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. To help, managers have set various harvest caps. For example, a cap in the Chesapeake Bay was set at 51,000 metric tons in 2017. In 2020, a 10% coast-wide harvest cut was approved. This was the first time managers used "ecological reference points." This means they look at the needs of the whole food web, not just the fishing industry.

Menhaden also have a deep cultural history. The name comes from an Algonquian word related to using fish as fertilizer. It is believed that Tisquantum, or Squanto, advised Pilgrims to plant menhaden with crops. In the 1870s, menhaden oil became a popular alternative to whale oil. During this time, crews of African-American men worked on open boats. They used purse seines to catch the fish. These crews sang sea chanties to help them pull the nets. These songs came from West African, blues, and gospel traditions. This tradition declined when hydraulic winches replaced manual hauling in the 1950s.