Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

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Genus: Brevoortia, Menhaden Herring, Menhadens


All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

top jaw - central notch
nape - ridge of 2 rows large scales
belly - row scutes
pelvics I,6
scales rough

BREVOORTIA

MENHADENS

Deep bodied, compressed; head, and especially the gill cover, large; mouth short, large, upper jaw with a distinct, deep 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; anal fin relatively short based, origin under or behind last dorsal ray, last dorsal fin ray not filamentous; pelvic fins on the abdomen below the dorsal fin, i, 6; a forked tail fin; scales rough; belly midline fully covered with a keel of scutes (hard, spiny scales); back before dorsal fin with a ridge along the midline formed by a double line of modified scales.

A West Atlantic genus with 6 species; 3 of the 4 NW Atlantic species in our area, including 2 endemics.