Herring live in enormous schools, sometimes containing millions of fish. They swim at deep depths during the day. In the evening, they follow their prey closer to the surface and disperse just under the water surface for the night. Herring feed on small crustaceans, free-swimming snails and fish larvae. As they swim, they sift these small animals out of the water with the help of filters located on the inside of their gills. The filter is made up of long 'thorns' which are situated as a comb on the gills. In the Netherlands, herring is particularly known as the 'Holland Nieuwe'. All the various herring sold at the fish shop, the new herring, pickled herring, rolmops, salted herring, bokking and pan herring, are all the same fish.

Herrings feed mainly on small oceanic shrimps or copepods and can filter-feed if there are sufficient densities of its prey to allow this. Individuals reach maturity between the ages of three and nine years. At any month of the year, one of the many populations scattered across its vast range will be spawning. The eggs are sticky and are laid on marine vegetation or the seabed. Fish in the North Sea spawn between January and April at a depth of no more than 70 metres and a sea temperature of 4 - 7 °C.

Many people will be familiar with the herring as, for many years, it has been a staple of the fishmonger's slab. It is a shoaling fish and has the classical fish shape, and is silvery and streamlined. It has a single dorsal fin, and pelvic fins positioned slightly in front of the line of the dorsal fin. The pectoral fins, like the others on the fish, are soft and not stiff and 'bony' like on many other fishes. The lower jaw protrudes forward of the upper lip, and there is no visible lateral line. The body is deeper than it is wide, improving the streamlining, and the tail is deeply forked. The colouring of the body overall is silver, but closer inspection reveals that there is a darker blue iridescence over the upper half of the body, whilst the underside is paler. This colouration is called 'countershading', and provides a way of camouflaging the fish from attacks by its many predators from all angles.

Clupea harengus memiliki panjang maksimum 45 cm akan tetapi panjang rata-rata ikan ini adalah 30 cm. Habitat hidup ikan dilaut,bersifat bhentopelagic dan oceanodromuous. Secara umum ikan ini dapat hidup pada selang suhu perairan 1oC -1 18oC. Ikan ini sering juga disebut dengan Hering Atlantik. Pada masa musim dingi ikan ini akan bermigrasi mengikuti pola migrasi dari ikan-ikan sebelumnya. Ikan ini memakan zooplankton dan hewan=hewan dasar perairan. Predator ikan ini diantaranya ikan karnivora, mamalia laut, serta burung laut. Secara umum ikan ini memijah pada musim dingin di derah Norwegia dan Islandia, sedangkan pada musim gugur memijah di Islandia dan Laut Baltik.

Clupe Harengus tersebar di daerah utara Atlantik, di barat ikan ini tersebar dari barat daya Greenland dan bagian selatan dai Labrador sampai ke bagian selatan dari Carolina, AS. Pada bagian timur ikan ini terseba dari Islandia sampai ke Greenland , ikan ini juga banyak ditemukan di utara Teluk Biscay, Spitbergen, dan Novaya Zemlya di Rusia.

Ikan in merupakan ikan konsumsi dan biasanya diolah dalam bentuk ikan segar, ikan asin, ikan kering, diasapi, ikan kaleng, dan dapat di goring, dikukus serta di panggang.

 Clupea harengus is a streamlined shoaling fish. It may reach up to 40 cm in length and 0.68 kg in weight. The overall colouring of the body is silver but a darker blue iridescence is present over the upper half of the body. The underside is considerably paler. The body is deeper than it is wide, which improves the streamlined nature of the fish. The tail is deeply forked and has a single dorsal fin. The pelvic fins are situated slightly in front of the line of the dorsal fin. These, as well as the pectoral fins are not bony, like in many other fish, but are soft.Clupea harengus is a highly commercial marine fish and is being threatened by over-harvesting by commercial fishing fleets (Whitehead, 1985). Maturity is reached between the ages of 3 and 9 years. Atlantic herring predominantly feeds on small shrimps or copepods but is also known to filter-feed should the need arise.

Herring schools move between spawning and wintering grounds in coastal areas and feeding grounds in open water by following migration patterns learned from earlier year classes (Ref. 88171). Juveniles (up to 2 years) shoal close inshore, while adults are found more offshore (Ref. 6683). Adults spend the day in deeper water, but rise to shallower water at night (Ref. 89562). Light is an important factor in controlling their vertical distribution. A facultative zooplanktivorous filter-feeder, i.e., it can switch to filter-feeding if the food density and particle size are appropriate (Ref. 28664). Feed mainly on copepods finding food by visual sense. Herring schools often attract predators such as fish, birds, and marine mammals (Ref. 89563). Schooling, silvery sides, excellent hearing (capable of detecting frequencies between 30-4,000 Hz , Refs. 89391, 89564, 89566), and very fast escape response act as anti-predator devices (Ref. 28664). The most important races in the East Atlantic are the winter-spawning Norwegian and Icelandic herring, the autumn spawning Icelandic and North Sea herring and the Baltic Sea herring. Utilized fresh, dried or salted, smoked, canned and frozen; can be fried, broiled, microwaved and baked (Ref. 9988).

The Atlantic herring is found over much of the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, from the Bay of Biscay northward to Iceland and southern Greenland. It extends north-eastward to Spitzbergen and Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean, as well as into the Baltic. To the west, it ranges along the east coast of North America, from south-western Greenland and Labrador, down to South Carolina. Around UK waters, the herring occurs in the English Channel, the Irish Sea and the North Sea. There are a number of different races of the fish, found across its eastern range, in the Baltic and North Sea, and in Norwegian and Icelandic waters. The various races spawn at different times of the year.

Baltic Sea.

Baltic sea, Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone, British Isles, Canadian part of the Arctic Ocean, Davis Strait, De Haan, European waters (ERMS scope), FAO fishing area 18, FAO fishing area 21, Grevelingen, Gulf of Maine, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, IJsselmeer, Irish Exclusive economic Zone, North West Atlantic, Oostende, Oosterschelde, Polish Exclusive Economic Zone, Schelde estuary, Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone, United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone, Voordelta, Westerschelde, Wimereux, Zeeschelde

North Atlantic: in the west, it ranges from southwestern Greenland and Labrador southward to South Carolina, USA. In the east, it ranges from Iceland and southern Greenland southward to the northern Bay of Biscay and eastward to Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya in Russia, including the Baltic Sea (Ref. 188).

This species is distributed from northern Bay of Biscay to Iceland and southern Greenland, eastward to Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya, including the Baltic. It is also seen along southwestern Greenland and Labrador down to South Carolina.

Older references of Atlantic herring indicate that populations may move between different coastal regions after a number of years, disappearing off the coast of Norway, while showing up on the shores of Germany (Buffon, 1793). This process can be explained by climatic forcing of Atlantic herring migration occuring on a decadal cycle (Alheit and Hagen, 1997) as well as fluctuations in spawning caused by switches in recruitment in between northern and southern populations in the North Sea (Corten, 1999).

Clupea harengus are closely related to the Pacific herring Clupea pallasii pallasii, which resides mainly in the northern Pacific Ocean. Recent genetic evidence indicates that these two species diverged roughly 1.3 million years ago (Domanico, et al., 1996).

Biogeographic Regions: atlantic ocean (Native )

Other Geographic Terms: holarctic

southwestern Greenland and Labrador southward to South Carolina

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

North Atlantic (including Baltic Sea, North Sea).

Both sides of the North Atlantic. Off the European coast the herring ranges north to Norway, Iceland, Spitzbergen, and the White Sea; south to the Straits of Gibraltar. On the American coast as far north as northern Labrador and the west coast of Greenland; commonly as far south as Cape Cod and Block Island.

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 21; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 12 - 23; Vertebrae: 51 - 60

Clupea harengus grow to about 17 inches (45.72 cm) and can weigh up to 1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953; Gulf of Maine Aquarium, 2004d). Atlantic herring stocks in the Baltic Sea have recently seen significant decreases in weight-at-age in all age-classes with larger declines in northern populations than southern populations, and in younger age groups than in older groups (Cardinale and Arrhenius, 2000). The result of this decrease in weight-at-age could be indicative of a change in the average size of all Clupea harengus populations, or it may only be a case of Baltic Sea populations.

Clupea harengus are laterally compressed, with a moderatly pointed nose, a large mouth at the tip of the snout, and a projecting lower jaw. They have a "saw-toothed keel" belly and a deeply forked tail. The keel is only weakly sawtoothed as compared to other members of its family. The dorsal fin is situated roughly midway down the back, and the abdominal fins are located almost directly below it. There is no adipose fin. The scales are large and loosely attached. The key anatomical difference between Clupea harengus and other members of the family is an oval patch of small teeth on the vomer bone at the center of the roof of the mouth (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953).

The body color is of a deep steel blue or greenish blue, with silver sides and belly. Ventral and anal fins are translucent white. The pectorals are dark at their base and along the upper edge. The caudal and dorsal fins are also dark(Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953).

Range mass: 0.68 (high) kg.

Range length: 45.72 (high) cm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike

Maximum size: 400 mm SL

45.0 cm SL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 37032)); max. published weight: 1,050 g (Ref. 6114); max. reported age: 25 years (Ref. 89560)

to 45.0 cm SL; max. weight: 1,050 g.

Slender fish with a round belly. Scutes without prominent keel; 12 to 16 post-pelvic scutes (Ref. 188). No median notch in upper jaw; operculum without radiating bony striae; the posterior border of its gill opening is evenly rounded. It is blue to greenish-blue dorsally, becoming silvery ventrally. No distinctive dark spots on the body or fins (Ref. 188).

benthopelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 364 m (Ref. 58426), usually 0 - 200 m (Ref. 6683)

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Marine

Atlantic herring Clupea harengus are found in the palagic zone of marine waters, as well as coastal zones of throughout their geographic reach.

(Note: the maximum depth value given is based on a value of 50 fathoms (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953)).

Range depth: 36.576 to 0 m.

Habitat Regions: saltwater or marine

Aquatic Biomes: pelagic ; coastal

Other Habitat Features: intertidal or littoral

nektonic

Found to depths of 200 m, prefer shallow inshore waters.

Depth range based on 506546 specimens in 3 taxa.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 288146 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): -9 - 492
  Temperature range (°C): -1.960 - 24.323
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.663 - 26.963
  Salinity (PPS): 5.681 - 36.264
  Oxygen (ml/l): 0.901 - 8.768
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.114 - 2.516
  Silicate (umol/l): 0.987 - 55.359

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): -9 - 492

Temperature range (°C): -1.960 - 24.323

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.663 - 26.963

Salinity (PPS): 5.681 - 36.264

Oxygen (ml/l): 0.901 - 8.768

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.114 - 2.516

Silicate (umol/l): 0.987 - 55.359
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Habitat Type: Marine

 Clupea harengus is pelagic in its distribution and occurs in the surface waters down to a depth of around 200 m. Outside of the spawning season, Clupea harengus stays away from the immediate coastal areas. It is often found in vast near-surface shoals covering an area of several square kilometers.

Depth: 0 - 200m.
Recorded at 200 meters.

Habitat: pelagic. Schooling in coastal waters, with complex feeding and spawning migrations whose timing and extent correlate with the more or less distinct races recognizable on morphological grounds. Recorded in temperatures of 1°-18°C. Feeds on small planktonic copepods in the first year, thereafter mainly on copepods. At least one population spawns in any one month of the year. Eggs are laid on substrate. In Guinness Book of World Records, as the most numerous fish (Ref. 6472). Utilized fresh, dried/salted, smoked, canned and frozen; can be fried, broiled, microwaved and baked (Ref. 9988).

Pelagic; brackish; marine. Depth range: 0-200 m. Schooling in coastal waters, with complex feeding and spawning migrations whose timing and extent correlate with the more or less distinct races recognizable on morphological grounds.

This species is 'pelagic' in its distribution throughout the ocean, in the surface waters down to a depth of about 200 metres. These fish stay away from the immediate coastal areas outside the spawning season. Herring avoid the deeper parts of the ocean, and are often found in vast surface shoals, covering several square kilometres of water.

Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Visual size-selective plankton feeder (Ref. 89567) Has the ability to switch between particulate- and filter-feeding (Ref. 4809). Adult feed on planktonic crustaceans, mollusc larvae, arrow worms, ctenophores, small fish (incl. eggs and larvae) (Ref. 188). Preyed upon by fish, birds, and marine mammals (Ref. 89563). Parasites found are protozoans, myxosporidians, trematodes, cestodes, nematodes and copepods (Refs. 5951, 37032). Herring biomass has shown inverse correlation with the biomass of sprat, a competitor for planktonic food (Refs. 82765; 82766).

In the late 1700s, Leeuwenhoek hypothesized that Clupea harengus was a plankton feeder, stating that "Seeing these things, I did not wonder that fishermen should imagine Herrings have no food in their stomachs, because Herrings do, in my opinion, feed on such small fishes ["animacules"], that they cannot take in sufficient quantities of them to distend their stomachs, as we see in other fish; and hence it is said, that Herrings have no food in within their stomachs." (Leeuwenhoek, 1798)

With the advent of better microscopes and observational techniques, it was found that plankton (the "animaclues" of Leeuwenhoek's time) that Clupea harengus feeds upon, starting with larval snails, diatoms, peridinians when first hatched, moving on to copepods, amphipods, pelagic shrimps, and decapod crustacean larvae when they reach adulthood (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953).

Animal Foods: fish; eggs; mollusks; aquatic or marine worms; aquatic crustaceans; other marine invertebrates; zooplankton

Plant Foods: phytoplankton

Primary Diet: planktivore

Feeds on small planktonic copepods in the first year, thereafter mainly on copepods. A facultative zooplanktivorous filter-feeder, i.e., it can switch to filter-feeding if the food density and particle size are appropriate. Spend the day in deeper water, but rise to the surface at night. Find their food visually. Feeding and growth are decreased during winter. They can be divided into several different stocks and races.

Animal / parasite / endoparasite
cercaria of Cryptocotyle lingua endoparasitises Clupea harengus

Animal / pathogen
Icthyophonus hoferi infects muscle of Clupea harengus

Herring are a critical part of the Atlantic ecosystem, being a prey species for a large variety of species. They are pelagic plankton feeders (Gulf of Maine Aquarium, 2004b).

Atlantic herring are also the host of several parasitic species. In a study of 220 Norwegian spring spawning herring, Tolonen and Karlsbakk (2002) detected 11 parasitic species: the coccodians Goussia clupearum and Eimeria sardinae, spores of the myxozoan Ceratomyxa auerbachi, adult trematodes Hemiurus spp., adult and larval nematodes Hysterothylacium aduncum and Anisakis simplex, and Cryptocotyle lingua metacercarial infections.

As Atlantic herring are the prey species of many species of fish, mammals, and birds, herring are almost always found in schools (Bigelow and Schoreder, 1953). Some schools display elaborate patterns (Gulf of Maine Aquarium, 2004b). These schools may be quite large, stretching several miles in length and visibly darkening the waters (Jones, 1795).

Clupea harengus is a prey species of cod, pollock, haddock, silver hake, striped bass, mackerel, tuna, salmon, dogfish (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953), harbor porpoises Phocoena phocoena, harbor seals Phoca vitulina, gray seals Halichoerus grypus, Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica, razorbills Alca torda, common terns Sterna hirundo, arctic terns Sterna arctica, killer whales, baleen whales (Gulf of Maine Aquarium, 2004b), and humans Homo sapiens.

Known Predators:

• cod (Gadus)
• pollock (Pollachius virens)
• haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus)
• silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis)
• striped bass (Morone saxatilis)
• mackerels (Trachurus)
• tunas (Scombridae)
• salmon (Salmonidae)
• dogfish (Squalidae)
• harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)
• harbor seals (Phoca vitulina)
• gray seals (Halichoerus grypus)
• Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica)
• razorbills (Alca torda)
• common terns (Sterna hirundo)
• arctic terns (Sterna arctica)
• killer whales (Orcinus orca)
• baleen whales (Mysticeti)
• humans (Homo sapiens)

Clupea harengus (Clupea harengus herring) is prey of:
Cnidaria
Actinonaias ellipsiformis
Tridonta arctica
Pollachius pollachius
Merluccius bilinearis
Urophycis regia
Urophycis tenuis
Urophycis chuss
Gadidae
Melanogrammus aeglefinus
Hemitripterus americanus
Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus
Leucoraja erinacea
Leucoraja ocellata
Amblyraja radiata
Mustelus canis
Squalus acanthias
Lophius americanus
Cynoscion
Pomatomus saltatrix

Phocidae
Scombridae
Chondrichthyes
Istiophoridae
Aves
Homo sapiens
Larus canus
Larus ridibundus
Larus argentatus
Larus marinus
Sterna sandvicensis
Sterna hirundo
Sterna paradisaea
Platichthys flesus
Hemiuris communis
Lecithaster gibbosus
Hysterothylacium aduncum

Based on studies in:
USA, Northeastern US contintental shelf (Coastal)
Scotland (Estuarine)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

Clupea harengus (Clupea harengus herring) preys on:
phytoplankton
Calanus
Pteropods
Copepoda
Ctenophora
other worms
Chaetognatha
Anthozoa
Crangon
Mysidae
Pandalidae
Decapoda
Gammaridae
Hyperiidae
Caprellidae
Polychaeta
Ammodytes marinus

Based on studies in:
USA, Northeastern US contintental shelf (Coastal)
Scotland (Estuarine)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

Internal Fungal Infection (Ichthyophonus sp.). Fungal diseases

Anisakis Disease. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)

Although little is known of the behavioral reasons behind their noise productions, Clupea harengus are known to produce and perceive sounds. Noise is usually produced at night by is probably the result of forceful ejection of air from the anal duct. The frequency of noise production did not change due to feeding. This noise production tends to increase with increasing numbers of herring in a school, leading to speculation that there is a social component to noise production (Wilson, Batty, and Dill, 2003).

Communication Channels: acoustic

Perception Channels: visual ; acoustic

The herring matures between 2-9 years (Refs. 35388, 82767, 89571). Herring populations are known to use traditional spawning grounds, many of which are along shallow coastal areas (15-40 m depth) or on offshore banks down to 200 m (Refs. 6684, 89572). Spawning usually occurs on gravel or rock bottoms, with the exception of Baltic populations which show a preference for shallow (less than 10 m depth) seaweed beds (Refs. 89520, 89572). Each population spawns only once a year over a relatively short time period (Ref. 89573). At least one population is spawning in any one month of the year, each having a different spawning time and place. The herring is a demersal spawner that releases a ribbon of sticky eggs that sink to the sea bed (Ref. 89574) and adhere to the substrate. The eggs released by a spawning population may be several layers thick which may deprive eggs in the bottom layers of oxygen, causing egg mortality (Ref. 89563). Although higher fecundities were reported earlier (e.g. Ref. 74523), fecundity now ranges from 10,000-60,000 eggs (Ref. 89571). Hatching may take up to 3 weeks, depending on temperature (Ref. 89571). Larvae are pelagic and drift with the current. Note: it is impossible to summarize briefly the wide range of spawning strategies of Atlantic herring; the best reviews are those of Svetovidov (Refs. 4608, 4609) for the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Hildebrand (Ref. 4607) for the Western Atlantic Ocean.

Clupea harengus eggs are laid on rocky to sandy substrate, rarely on mud, from 3.7 m to 54.9 m on the North American side of the Atlantic. In Scandinavia, depths of 182.9 m have been recorded. Fertilization may take place in spring, summer, or autumn, according to locality and subtype of Atlantic herring (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953).

Incubation lasts anywhere from 10 to 40 days, depending on local water temperatures. Colder temperatures (roughly 3.3 deg C) indicate a longer incubtion time. Incubation can take place in water temperatures of up to 15 deg C. Temperature ranges above and below these limits produced no viable hatchings (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953).

At the time of hatching, Clupea harengus are about 6 mm long. Their small yolk sack is usually completely absorbed by the time they reach 10 mm in length. At 15 to 17 mm, the dorsal fin forms. The anal fin forms when Atlantic herring reach about 30 mm. Ventral fins become visible at 30 to 35 mm. The tail becomes well-forked at around this length as well. Only when Atlantic herring reach 40 mm do they start to fully resemble mature herring (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953).

At roughly 2 years of age, Clupea harenga are about 19 to 20.5 cm in length, and start to accumulate large amounts of fat in the body tissue and viscera during warm months. This fat is lost in the winter and at the approach of sexual maturity (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953).

Clupea harengus may live up to 20 years.

Range lifespan

Status: wild: 20 (high) years.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 22.0 years.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 19.0 years.

Maximum longevity: 22 years (wild)

Atlantic herring aggregate into massive schools in the late summer and early fall. In the western Atlantic, they move into coastal waters at various locations in the Gulf of Maine and offshore banks of Nova Scotia to spawn. Spawning times vary for different populations of Atlantic herring.

Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)

Clupea harengus uses external fertilization of eggs. As female herring release eggs, male herring release clouds of milt simultaneously. Herring are fat prior to spawning, after months of eating plankton blooms.

Mature eggs make up a large portion (20%+) of the female's body weight. The fecundity of herring females is typically in the range of 20,000-50,000 eggs per female, although a large female herring can lay as many as 200,000 eggs. Herring are iteroparous and generally live to spawn repeatedly for several years. After spawning, their weight declines with the loss of gametes and associated fat content.

Breeding interval: Atlantic herring usually spawn after reaching 25.5cm.

Breeding season: Atlantic herring may spawn in spring, summer, or autmn, depending on local conditions and the subspecies of herring.

Range number of offspring: 200000 (high) .

Average number of offspring: 20000-50000.

Range time to hatching: 10 to 40 days.

Average time to hatching: 11 days.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 3 to 6 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 4 years.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 3 to 6 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 4 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (External ); broadcast (group) spawning; oviparous

There is no evidence that Atlantic herring invest any energies toward parenting after they spawn.

Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Provisioning)

At least one population is spawning in any one month of the year, each race having a different spawning time and place. Eggs adhesive on sea bed or on marine vegetation.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


There are 4 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.


Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 13
Specimens with Barcodes: 44
Species With Barcodes: 1

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 12
Specimens with Barcodes: 12
Species With Barcodes: 1

Clupea harengus is not an endangered species. However, with heavy fishing in the 1960s and a lack of recruitment in the 1970s, Atlantic herring fisheries crashed. Although the fishery recovered since then, its vulnerability, especially with increased potential of climate variability has lead the several countries to conduct studies looking at sustainable herring harvests (Alheit and Hagen, 1997).

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

Not subject to specific protection, but listed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) as below Safe Biological Limits (SBL).

Population

Population Trend

Least Concern (LC)

Major Threats

The biggest threat to this species is over-harvesting by the fishing fleets of many nations. Although the herring is still a relatively numerous species, it is now feared that there more are being caught by trawlers than can reproduce annually, particularly in European waters. Domestic pressure on governments to support their fishing industries has led to overfishing, and agreed quotas being exceeded, depleting populations of herring across much of its range.

Conservation Actions

The Atlantic herring is listed in the UK Biodiversity Grouped Action Plan for commercial marine fish. Being a species that is found in international waters, it has proved very difficult to impose restrictions on the number of fish that can be harvested from the sea without reducing fish stocks below the important Safe Biological Figure (SBF) limits. During the 1960s, the herring population in parts of the north Atlantic collapsed catastrophically, virtually wiping out the Icelandic herring industry, and posting a warning sign about the fragility of the marine environment. The chief cause was overfishing and, following the creation of a management plan in 1975, the Icelandic herring industry became the first to be subject to a total allowable catch (TAC) restriction. Since then, in this part of the Atlantic, herring fish stocks have recovered to sustainable levels, and the experience should serve as a lesson as to what could happen to other commercially important species. Whilst Atlantic populations of herring are currently considered to be above the SBF, those in the North Sea are giving cause for concern. Figures suggest that reproduction of many commercial fish species fell to an all-time low in the 1990s. Although populations now seem to be recovering, the herring is still covered in the part of the UK Grouped Action Plan specifically relating to North Sea fish stocks. However, it remains to be seen whether implementing the rules and recommendations in the current Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) will allow population levels to stabilise and recover. One effect of the CFP has been to remove the inefficient fishing boats from the fleets, allowing heavy overfishing by the 'factory' trawlers. This, coupled with the pressure on individual governments to support their country's own fishing fleets, has led to the harvesting of 'black fish', illegal catches above and beyond a country's legal quota, and this is still taking its toll on herring populations.

fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes; price category: low; price reliability: reliable: based on ex-vessel price for this species

Before large-scale fishing operations started in North America, the vastness of the shoals of Atlantic herring "became absolutely a nuisance" in the Chesapeake Bay area (Buffon, 1793). Clupea harengus can be very susceptible to pollution and being beached during large storms. Bigelow and Schoreder (1953) describe a "slaughter of herring" that started in October 5, 1920 and resulted in a tidal harbor becoming completely covered with dead herring. The large anoxic zone resulting from the decomposition of the massive number of dead herring caused even more fish kills.

Herring fisheries in both Europe and North America have been important sources of protein in diets going back centuries. Jones (1795) indicates that the Dutch fishery dates back to 1167, and Alheit and Hagen (1997) indicate the presence of a Swedish fishery dating back to the 10th Century. In North America, the Native Americans were the first ones to use a system of weirs to catch herrings, as they were difficult to catch using the traditional methods of hook or spear (Gulf of Maine Aquarium, 2004).

The love of Atlantic herring as a foodstuff in Britain was well captured by Jones (1795): "Yarmouth has long been famous for its herring [fare], which was regulated by an act in the 31st [year] of Edward the Third: and that town is obliged, by its charter, to send to the sheriffs of Norwich 100 herrings, to be made into twenty-four pies, by them to be delivered to the lord of the manor of East Carleton, who is to convey them to the king."

The Atlantic fishery continues to be a popular, if not a highly economic, one. In 2001, the New England herring fishery had an estimated total value of $15,615,237 in U. S. dollars (Parker, 2003). Similar fisheries are found throughout the range of Clupea harengus.

The nutritional information for raw Atlantic herring is: 158 Calories/100g, 17.96g protien/100g, 0.0g carbohydrate/100g, 2.04g saturated fatty acid/100g, 3.736g monosaturated fatty acid/100g, 2.133g polyunsaturated fatty acid/100g

Positive Impacts: food ; research and education

Comments: Formerly regarded as conspecific with the Pacific herring, C. PALLASI. Based on a study of biochemical genetics, Grant (Copeia 1986:714) recognized HARENGUS and PALLASI as distinct species, an action followed in the 1991 AFS checklist (Robins et al. 1991).