Atlantic Menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus (Latrobe, 1802)    Synonyms: Bunker.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Chordata   >   Class Actinopterygii   >   Order Clupeiformes   >   Family Clupeidae   >   Genus Brevoortia   

Status:

The Atlantic Menhaden is a critically important species in the Chesapeake Bay food chain. They are a small herring species that visits the Bay from spring to fall, forming schools near the water's surface.

Relationships:

Menhaden are an important food source for larger fish such as rockfish, bluefish, weakfish, and sharks, as well as the fish-eating seabirds that visit our area. The parasite Olencira praegustator is often found in menhaden mouths.

This species is harvested commercially for fish oil, bait, and livestock feed. Humans harvesting near the base of any food chain should at least be monitored very closely. (Changing an input to a complex system can have huge and unpredictable results.)

There are 277 records in the project database.

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An Atlantic Menhaden in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (6/16/2019). Photo by Ben Springer. (MBP list)

Atlantic Menhaden in Charles Co., Maryland (8/23/2019). (c) Tim Emhoff, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Tim Emhoff via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Atlantic Menhaden feeding near the surface in Worcester Co., Maryland (10/4/2023). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)

An Atlantic Menhaden caught during a pelagic trip out of Ocean City, Maryland (3/1/2014). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

An Atlantic Menhaden caught in Talbot Co., Maryland (7/8/2016). Photo by Dan Ewing. (MBP list)

A Menhaden caught in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (10/11/2012). Photo by Robert Aguilar, SERC. (MBP list)

An Atlantic Menhaden in Calvert Co., Maryland (6/8/2019). Photo by Ben Springer. (MBP list)

Atlantic Menhaden in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/2/2021). (c) Emilio Concari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Emilio Concari. (MBP list)

An Atlantic Menhaden at Andelot Farm, Kent Co., Maryland (6/7/2014). Photo by Robert Aguilar, SERC. (MBP list)

An Atlantic Menhaden in Calvert Co., Maryland (8/4/2019). Photo by Ben Springer. (MBP list)

Atlantic Menhaden in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/4/2022). (c) trinectes, all rights reserved. Photo by Robert Aguilar, SERC. (MBP list)

Atlantic Menhaden in Caroline Co., Maryland (7/17/2023). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Atlantic Menhaden in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (7/15/2022). (c) Emilio Concari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Emilio Concari. (MBP list)

An Atlantic Menhaden in Talbot Co., Maryland (7/1/2016). Photo by Jared Satchell. (MBP list)

Atlantic Menhaden in Talbot Co., Maryland (11/23/2023). (c) Robert Suppa, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Robert Suppa via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

An Atlantic Menhaden caught in Worcester Co., Maryland (9/26/2016). Photo by Dave Messick. (MBP list)

Atlantic Menhaden in Caroline Co., Maryland (8/23/2023). (c) Wayne Longbottom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Atlantic Menhaden in Calvert Co., Maryland (9/7/2020). (c) Mikey Lutmerding, all rights reserved. Photo by Mikey Lutmerding. (MBP list)

Atlantic Menhaden in the mouth of a Striped Bass in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (3/30/2024). (c) Jonathan Irons, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jonathan Irons via iNaturalist. (MBP list)


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