Herring Fast Facts

Herring Description: They are small and silver in color. Herring have a single dorsal fin, which do not contain spines unlike other fish. They have no lateral line. A few species of Herring have pointed scales. This marine fish are characterized by a protruding bottom jaw. They have a small head and slender, laterally flattened body. The tail is bifurcated.

Atlantic herring, the most common species, can grow until 18 inches long, while pacific herring reaches a length of 15 inches. Baltic herring is smaller than the other types and only reaches a length of 14 to 18cm. The Atlantic herring weighs an average of 1.50 pounds.

Habitat: Herring fish are found in the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans.

Lifespan: They live up to 12 to 16 years, although Southern herring reach 23 to 25 years.

Behavior: They are camouflaged in the water by their flashing silver colored bodies. This may protect them from predators, but humans use this characteristic to spot and capture them.

Diet: Herring eat tiny organisms like planktons. They actually keep their mouths open while they swim to filter the planktons through their gills.

Breeding: They spawn in December. Herring swim in schools with currents that move toward the shore, and disband after spawning.

Herring Nutritional Facts: They are an excellent source of Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, and have been a staple for humans since 3000BC.