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Home Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Subphylum Vertebrata Class Actinopterygii Order Clupeiformes Suborder Clupeoidei Family Clupeidae

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2009/11/01 01:50:44.154 US/Eastern

By Tanya Dewey

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Clupeiformes

Suborder: Clupeoidei

Family: Clupeidae

Members of this Family

The fish family that includes herrings, shads, sardines, and menhadens is a large, global family with 216 species. Most species are tropical and almost all species are found in oceans, although some are found in freshwater as well. Fish in this family are small to medium-sized, from 2 to 75 cm long. They generally have torpedo shaped bodies that are laterally compressed. Fish in this family are strong, fast swimmers, generally travel in large schools, and they typically feed on plankton. They are some of the most important commercially fished species in the world.

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Contributors

Tanya Dewey (author), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

2009/11/01 01:50:44.298 US/Eastern

To cite this page: Dewey, T. 2006. "Clupeidae" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed November 08, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Clupeidae.html.

Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151.
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