Alabama Shad

Body moderately compressed, belly with distinct keel of scutes. Lower jaw steeply rising within mouth; no teeth present at front of jaws; upper jaw with a distinct notch. The only other shad of the Gulf of Mexico has only 20 to 24 gill rakers. Closely resembles A. aestivalis and A. pseudoharengus of Atlantic coasts, but in them the lower jaw rises very steeply in the mouth (Ref. 188).

Spawns in freshwater in spring or early summer, ascending rivers and streams, the young presumably descending in autumn.

Anadromous. Fish that ascend rivers to spawn, as salmon and hilsa do. Sub-division of diadromous. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Analspines: 0

Feed on small fishes (Ref. 10294).

Forms schools. Ascends rivers and streams to spawn in spring or early summer, the young presumably descending in autumn. Marketed mostly fresh.

fisheries: minor commercial; price category: low; price reliability: questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this genus