Family: Clupeidae, Herrings view all from this family
Description The Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) is a
silvery, highly compressed fish in the herring family,
Clupeidae. A filter feeder, it lives on plankton caught in
midwater. Adult fish can filter up to four gallons of water a
minute; and they play an important role in clarifying ocean
water. They are also a natural check to the deadly red tide.
Menhaden have historically been used as a fertilizer for crops.
It is likely that menhaden is the fish that Squanto taught the
Pilgrims to bury alongside freshly planted seeds as fertilizer.
Other uses for menhaden include: feed for animals, bait for
fish, oil for human consumption, oil for manufacturing purposes
and oil as a fuel source. While many articles today state the
menhaden as being inedible, the fish were once consumed as
sardines or fried in early American history. Maine fisherman,
for example, would eat fried pogies for breakfast. The fish that
were not sold for bait would be sold to poorer cl