Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

Español  Contact

Species: Brevoortia smithi, Yellowfin Menhaden

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

shoulder - 1 spot
pectoral tip reaches to 3-5 scales from pelvic base
pelvic: oblique edge, inner rays shorter
belly scutes 30-32

Brevoortia smithi Hildebrand, 1941

Yellowfin Menhaden

Deep bodied, compressed; head, and especially the gill cover, large; mouth large, upper jaw with a distinct central notch into which the tip of the lower jaw fits; adults without jaw teeth; gill rakers long, fine, numerous, those on upper part of gill arch overlapping those on lower arm; dorsal and anal fins short, anal origin under or behind last dorsal ray; pelvics i, 6; its rear margin straight, oblique, inner rays much shorter than outer rays when fin is folded back; tip of pectoral reaches to within 3-5 scales of pelvic base; a forked tail fin; belly midline fully covered with a keel of scutes (hard, spiny scales), 30-32 scutes; scales rough, small, 60-70 (54-80) in lateral series; scales on upper tail base and base of tail fin markedly smaller and irregularly spaced; back before dorsal fin with a ridge along the midline formed by a double line of modified scales.

Green blue above, silvery on sides; a black spot just behind upper corner of operculum, but no more spots behind it; fins golden yellow.

Reaches 42 cm.

Marine, inshore pelagic, also enters brackish and freshwater.

Depth range: 0-10 m?

N Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico.


High Resolution Map Download

Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Brackish
  • Freshwater
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Mid Water
  • Near Surface
  • Surface
  • Water column only
Habitat
  • Water column
  • Estuary
  • Freshwater
FishBase Habitat
  • Pelagic
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Planktivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Phytoplankton
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • Extends North of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Temperate (>35N)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 42
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 10