Menhaden, also known as mossbunker, bunker, and "the most important fish in the sea", [1] are forage fish of the genera Brevoortia and Ethmidium, two genera of marine fish in the order Clupeiformes.

May 22, 2025 · Menhaden support an important commercial fishery. They constitute the largest landings, by volume, along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Menhaden are harvested for use …

Oct 3, 2025 · Menhaden, any of several species of valuable Atlantic coastal fishes in the genus Brevoortia of the herring family (Clupeidae), utilized for oil, fish meal, and fertilizer.

Atlantic menhaden are common fish in estuaries and coastal waters from Nova Scotia to northern Florida. Menhaden are small, flat-bodied, fish with deeply forked tails. They have bright silver scales, …

Improve water quality. Water-borne contaminants can increase Atlantic menhaden’s susceptibility to disease and parasites and increase negative impacts at individual and population levels.

Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) are a crucial component of the Atlantic coastal ecosystem. These small, oily fish form the foundation of the marine food web, serving as a vital prey for many …

Atlantic menhaden constitute the largest landings, by volume, of any commercial fishery along the Atlantic Coast. They rank second in the United States for landings behind only pollock on the West …

Menhaden, though often unnoticed, are vital to oceanic health and the interdependent web of marine life. They serve crucial roles from filtering water to feeding predators, and their presence is …

The Atlantic menhaden is a silvery-blue herring with dark spots on the sides. Large schools of menhaden visit the Chesapeake Bay from spring through autumn.

Menhaden are a type of forage fish or critical prey for larger predators that depend on them to survive. Menhaden are dense in calories and nutrients, critical for species like striped bass, bluefish, osprey, …