Baltic herring

Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras) is a subspecies of the herring, a small, oily fish from the family Clupeidae. It is found in the Baltic Sea, a brackish sea in Northern Europe.

Description

Baltic herring are small fish, typically measuring 14-18 cm in length. They have a silvery-blue color on the back, which fades to silver on the sides and belly. The body is slender and compressed laterally, with a forked tail and a single dorsal fin.

Habitat and Distribution

Baltic herring inhabit the brackish waters of the Baltic Sea, which is less saline than the open ocean due to the large amount of freshwater runoff it receives. They are found throughout the sea, from the surface to depths of up to 200 meters.

Diet

The diet of Baltic herring consists mainly of plankton, small crustaceans, and fish larvae. They are filter feeders, using their gill rakers to strain tiny food particles from the water.

Reproduction

Baltic herring spawn in the spring and summer, with females releasing up to 20,000 eggs. The eggs sink to the bottom and stick to rocks, seaweed, or other substrates. After hatching, the larvae drift with the currents until they are large enough to swim on their own.

Economic Importance

Baltic herring are an important commercial fish in the Baltic Sea region. They are caught for their meat and for their oil, which is used in the production of fish meal and fish oil. The fish are also a key part of the diet of many seabirds and marine mammals in the Baltic Sea.

Conservation

While Baltic herring are not currently considered threatened, they are vulnerable to overfishing, pollution, and changes in the Baltic Sea ecosystem due to climate change. Efforts are being made to manage the fishery sustainably and to protect the Baltic Sea environment.

See also

• Herring
• Baltic Sea
• Fisheries in the Baltic Sea