| Family | Scientific Name | Author | Year | Common Name |
| Cluepeidae | Alosa aestivalis | (Mitchill) | 1814 | Blueback Herring |
Alosa aestivalis
Unique Characters: Lower jaw rising steeply within mouth. Peritoneum sooty or black. Dorsum distinctly blue. Eye diameter less than snout length. Upper jaw with deep median notch. Last dorsal-fin ray not filamentous. Predorsal scales along dorsal midline normal, not enlarged and fringed. Other scales with smooth posterior margins. 8 branched pelvic-fin rays.
Similar Species:
Alewife
Alosa pseudoharengus
Hickory Shad Alosa mediocris
American Shad Alosa sapidissima
Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus. Lower jaw rising steeply within mouth. Peritoneum silvery to pale grey. Dorsum greyish green. Eye diameter greater than snout length. Upper jaw with deep median notch. Last dorsal-fin ray not filamentous. Predorsal scales along dorsal midline normal, not enlarged and fringed. Other scales with smooth posterior margins. 8 branched pelvic-fin rays.
Hickory Shad Alosa mediocris. Lower jaw not rising steeply within mouth. Jaw teeth present. Gill rakers on lower limb of anterior arch less than 25. Lower jaw projecting beyond upper when mouth closed. Upper jaw with deep median notch. Last dorsal-fin ray not filamentous. Predorsal scales along dorsal midline normal, not enlarged and fringed. Other scales with smooth posterior margins. 8 branched pelvic-fin rays.
American Shad Alosa sapidissima. Lower jaw not rising steeply within mouth. Jaw teeth minute or absent in adults. Gill rakers on lower limb of anterior arch more than 30. Lower jaw not projecting beyond upper when mouth closed. Upper jaw with deep median notch. Last dorsal-fin ray not filamentous. Predorsal scales along dorsal midline normal, not enlarged and fringed. Other scales with smooth posterior margins. 8 branched pelvic-fin rays.
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