Fish · GBIF taxon 8351946
Atlantic Herring
Clupea harengusAlso known as Sea Herring, Sperm Herring, Brit
Atlantic herring form massive migratory schools containing millions of individuals, acting as a crucial ecological bridge between microscopic plankton and top marine predators. They travel vast distances between deep wintering grounds, rich summer feeding areas, and shallow coastal spawning beds. Females deposit dense carpets of sticky eggs over rocky sea floors, triggering feeding frenzies among diving birds and fish.
SchoolingMarinePelagic
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Copepods
- Krill
- Fish Larvae
Predators
- Atlantic Cod
- Humpback Whale
- Harbor Seal
ThreatsOverfishing, ocean warming, plankton shifting, and habitat degradation.
HabitatsOpen ocean pelagic zones, coastal bays, estuaries, and continental shelves.
Life span12 to 20 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyClupeidae
- SpeciesClupea harengus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe from boats or while diving at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Bird Activity: Watch for dense flocks of diving gannets or gulls, which often reveal herring shoals just below.
- Diving Etiquette: Move smoothly without sudden hand movements to avoid scattering large schooling formations.
Predator NOAA / Public Domain (NOAA) · Public Domain (NOAA)
Predator Wikimedia Commons / Public domain · cc0
Close Relative (c) rlacroix, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by rlacroix · cc-by
Close Relative
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