Species: Opisthonema oglinum, Atlantic Thread Herring

Opisthonema oglinum (Lesueur, 1818)

Atlantic Thread Herring

Body fusiform, moderately compressed; mouth opens at front, oblique, short, without a notch at top front; top jaw with 2 toothed bones; teeth small, conical; 28-46 fine rakers; rear margin of gill chamber with two fleshy lobes; dorsal fin slightly before center of body, last fin ray long and filamentous, extending nearly to tail fin base; anal fin short, well behind dorsal fin; pelvic fins on the abdomen, insert under center of dorsal fin base, i, 7; a forked tail fin; belly with a distinct, complete keel formed by 32-36 scutes (hard spiny scales); scales relatively small (<50 in lateral series), irregularly arranged.

Bluish green on back, sometimes with dark longitudinal lines; silvery white on sides and belly; a dark spot just behind top corner of gill cover, sometimes with 1 or more irregular lines of spots behind; edge of dorsal fin and its filament dusky; tail fin with black tips.

Reaches 48 cm.

Pelagic, coastal, migratory in temperate areas.

Depth: 0-87 m.

Maine to southern Brazil.