Fauna
Fish · GBIF taxon 5214544

Atlantic Menhaden

Brevoortia tyrannus

Also known as Pogy, Mossbunker

Atlantic Menhaden are deep-bodied silvery schooling fish with a dark shoulder spot behind the gill cover. Their large filtering apparatus strains plankton from the water as vast schools move through coastal bays and nearshore waters.

schooling fishfilter feedercoastal
Atlantic Menhaden reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Brian Gratwicke, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • zooplankton
  • phytoplankton
  • organic particles
Predators
  • striped bass
  • dolphins
  • ospreys
ThreatsHeavy harvest, poor estuarine water quality, warming seas, and loss of nursery habitat
HabitatsEstuaries, bays, coastal ocean, and tidal nursery creeks
Life spanUsually up to ten to twelve years, though many individuals live fewer years
Classification
  1. OrderClupeiformes
  2. FamilyClupeidae
  3. GenusBrevoortia
  4. SpeciesBrevoortia tyrannus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Observe feeding schools without crowding wildlife that gather around them.
Responsible observation
  • Watch: Rippling water and diving birds can reveal a dense school near the surface.
  • Identify: Look for a deep silver body and one dark shoulder spot behind the gill.
Related species

Related species have not been added yet.

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