Summary ⁵

Shad are an anadromous species found primarily in the Solway Firth in southwestern Scotland. Shad spawn in rivers, and then the juveniles head out to sea to feed on crustaceans and small fish for several years before returning to the river to spawn. Shad used to be subject to commercial fisheries which significantly damaged their populations, however British law now prohibits fishing for them. Scottish Natural Heritage lists water quality deterioration as the main threat to this species at present.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) WoRMS for SMEBD, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://images.marinespecies.org/resized/2303_alosa-alosa-linnaeus-1758.jpg
2. (c) Adam Cohen, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Adam Cohen
3. (c) Hans Hillewaert, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alosa_fallax.jpg
4. (c) Hans Hillewaert, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alosa_fallax_(head).jpg
5. (c) jrpscott, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNaturalistUK taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• FishBase
• FishSource
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• NBN Atlas
• VertNet
• World Register of Marine Species

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