Atlantic thread herring (Opisthonema oglinum) fish species and information / pictures of Atlantic thread herring - Opisthonema oglinum

Atlantic thread herring (Opisthonema oglinum) fish species information

Scientific Name
Opisthonema oglinum

Common Name
Atlantic thread herring

Biology
Inhabit harbors and shallow coastal areas (Ref. 9710). Form schools (but solitary individuals reported), probably not entering water of low salinity. Feed by filtering plankton (copepods), but also take small fishes, crabs and shrimps. Marketed fresh, frozen and salted; also used in the fishmeal industry. Occur in freshwater in St. Johns River, Florida (Ref. 26938).

Classification

Classified By

Lesueur, 1818

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Herrings (Clupeiformes)

Family

Herrings, shads and sardines (Clupeidae)

Distribution

Region

Western Atlantic

Distribution

Western Atlantic: Gulf of Maine (USA), Bermuda, throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and West Indies southward to Santa Catarina, Brazil. The Colombian form is possibly a subspecies, Opisthonema oglinum captivai. Also found in Uruguay (Ref. 54736) and Argentina (Ref. 2806).

Range

41°N - 37°S, 98°W - 33°W

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

5 m

Depth To - meters

Unknown m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 5 - ? m (Ref. 9710)

Trophic Level

4.5 s.e. 0.00 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

38.0 cm

Common Length

20.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5312 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial; bait: usually

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (24 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=1-3; tmax=8)

Threat To Humans

Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30911)

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated