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cheferson · 04-13-2004, 05:25 PM

Life History

The Atlantic menhaden is a member of the herring family, Clupiedae, but unlike shad and river herring, they spawn in the ocean and their young develop and grow in the less saline waters of estuaries during their first year. Menhaden are silvery in color with a distinct black shoulder spot behind their gill opening and a variable number of smaller spots on their sides. Like shad and herring, they possess a series of scutes along their belly. Their bodies are moderately compressed, their caudal fin is deeply forked, and their fins lack spines. Menhaden range from Nova Scotia, Canada to central Florida.

Atlantic menhaden mature at about age 2 and will spawn in inshore waters over most of the continental shelf. They spawn throughout the entire year at one location or another along the Atlantic coast. In the mid-Atlantic, these fish spawn from March through May. Their eggs are buoyant and hatch in about 75 days. Larvae are pelagic and probably spend about one month in waters over the continental shelf before entering Chesapeake Bay. The Bay is an important nursery for juvenile menhaden; they occupy almost the entire Bay and its tributaries from above Baltimore to the mouth of the Bay in Virginia. Larval fish enter the Bay in early summer and move into lower salinity waters in estuarine tributaries where they are found in great numbers. These juveniles, along with other immature fish (ages 1 and 2), remain in the Bay until the fall when most migrate to the ocean. These migrants then move southward and winter offshore south of Cape Hatteras. The following spring they migrate northward as adults to the Chesapeake Bay area and into New England waters.

Atlantic menhaden are one of the most abundant fish species in estuarine and coastal Atlantic waters. During summer months in Chesapeake Bay, these fish swim in large schools and their silvery bodies can often be seen splashing the water's surface. Juveniles primarily feed on zooplankton, but adults are mainly herbivores, but retain the ability to feed on zooplankton. The adults are very adaptable and will feed on several species of phytoplankton, as well as suspended organic plant detritus.

Atlantic menhaden are an ecologically critical fish species. They consume and redistribute a significant amount of energy within and between Chesapeake Bay and other estuaries, and the coastal ocean. This is due, in part, to their tremendous numbers, their individual growth rates, filter feeding capacity, and seasonal movements. Menhaden are also an extremely important prey species for many predatory fish such as striped bass, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, tuna, and sharks. Because of their schooling behavior, they are also a favorite target for herons, egrets, ospreys, and eagles.

Chesapeake Bay Management

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) developed the Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden (Plan) in 1981, which was later revised in 1992. Management authority was established in the states because the vast majority of menhaden landings come from state waters. There is a single stock that migrates along the entire Atlantic coast, and every state, except Pennsylvania, has declared interest in the menhaden management program. The management process contained in this Plan relies on six "trigger variables" to determine the "health" of the stock. These include: 1) landings in weight; (2) proportion of age 0 fish in landings; (3) proportion of adults (age 3+) in landings; (4) recruits to age 1; (5) spawning stock biomass and; (6) percent maximum spawning potential.

In January 1999, the Commission's Atlantic Menhaden Management Board recommended that the Commission begin developing an amendment to the existing 1992 Plan. This action was based upon the results of an external peer review of the Atlantic menhaden stock assessment which recommended major revisions to the Plan. The current Plan, relying on the six "trigger variables" to monitor changes in stock size and recruitment in the population, are based on landings data that do not reflect true trends in the population. In addition, these trigger values do not result in any direct management and/or regulatory action. The Peer Review Panel recommended replacement of several of these triggers with true biological reference points which would respond to the management goals and result in regulatory changes in the menhaden management process. Furthermore, this Panel recommended that these reference points should address the ecological role of menhaden as a forage base for other species and as a consumer of phytoplankton. The Panel suggested the development of a quota based management system with annual total allowable catch allocated by season and fishing areas. For more information on coastal Atlantic menhaden management, please visit the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) web site.

Currently, the biological background section for a Chesapeake Bay Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden has been drafted and various management options have been considered; however, no decisions have been made and no documents have been finalized.

Commercial and Recreational Fisheries

Atlantic menhaden used to be heavily fished along the entire Atlantic coast. It was the second most important species harvested in the United States in terms of quantity, and was processed for its oil, protein meal, and solubles. Now, there is only one reduction plant left which harvests menhaden from the lower Chesapeake Bay and the North Carolina coast. A small bait fishery for commercial and recreational use still exists along the coast. Purse seine fishing for menhaden takes place along the Atlantic coast and in the Virginia half of the Chesapeake Bay. Menhaden are captured in pound nets in Maryland's portion of the Bay.

The primary gear for harvesting menhaden for the oil and protein meal products is the purse seine. Maryland has prohibited purse seining in state waters (0-3 miles from the coast), and in Chesapeake Bay since before the 1950s. The use of spotter planes to locate menhaden schools has also been prohibited.

A recreational fishery does not exist for Atlantic menhaden in Maryland. Current management restrictions on Atlantic menhaden can be found on our updated commercial and recreational regulations page.

Atlantic Menhaden Fun Facts:

* A large crustacean parasite is commonly found in the mouth of Atlantic menhaden; hence, the common name, "Bugmouth".
* The maximum size of Atlantic menhaden is approximately 15 inches.
* Summer "kills" of large numbers of menhaden are common in Chesapeake Bay and are associated with low dissolved oxygen events.

04-13-2004, 05:25 PM	#19
cheferson Registered User iTrader: (0) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: MA Posts: 3,630	Life History The Atlantic menhaden is a member of the herring family, Clupiedae, but unlike shad and river herring, they spawn in the ocean and their young develop and grow in the less saline waters of estuaries during their first year. Menhaden are silvery in color with a distinct black shoulder spot behind their gill opening and a variable number of smaller spots on their sides. Like shad and herring, they possess a series of scutes along their belly. Their bodies are moderately compressed, their caudal fin is deeply forked, and their fins lack spines. Menhaden range from Nova Scotia, Canada to central Florida. Atlantic menhaden mature at about age 2 and will spawn in inshore waters over most of the continental shelf. They spawn throughout the entire year at one location or another along the Atlantic coast. In the mid-Atlantic, these fish spawn from March through May. Their eggs are buoyant and hatch in about 75 days. Larvae are pelagic and probably spend about one month in waters over the continental shelf before entering Chesapeake Bay. The Bay is an important nursery for juvenile menhaden; they occupy almost the entire Bay and its tributaries from above Baltimore to the mouth of the Bay in Virginia. Larval fish enter the Bay in early summer and move into lower salinity waters in estuarine tributaries where they are found in great numbers. These juveniles, along with other immature fish (ages 1 and 2), remain in the Bay until the fall when most migrate to the ocean. These migrants then move southward and winter offshore south of Cape Hatteras. The following spring they migrate northward as adults to the Chesapeake Bay area and into New England waters. Atlantic menhaden are one of the most abundant fish species in estuarine and coastal Atlantic waters. During summer months in Chesapeake Bay, these fish swim in large schools and their silvery bodies can often be seen splashing the water's surface. Juveniles primarily feed on zooplankton, but adults are mainly herbivores, but retain the ability to feed on zooplankton. The adults are very adaptable and will feed on several species of phytoplankton, as well as suspended organic plant detritus. Atlantic menhaden are an ecologically critical fish species. They consume and redistribute a significant amount of energy within and between Chesapeake Bay and other estuaries, and the coastal ocean. This is due, in part, to their tremendous numbers, their individual growth rates, filter feeding capacity, and seasonal movements. Menhaden are also an extremely important prey species for many predatory fish such as striped bass, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, tuna, and sharks. Because of their schooling behavior, they are also a favorite target for herons, egrets, ospreys, and eagles. Chesapeake Bay Management The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) developed the Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden (Plan) in 1981, which was later revised in 1992. Management authority was established in the states because the vast majority of menhaden landings come from state waters. There is a single stock that migrates along the entire Atlantic coast, and every state, except Pennsylvania, has declared interest in the menhaden management program. The management process contained in this Plan relies on six "trigger variables" to determine the "health" of the stock. These include: 1) landings in weight; (2) proportion of age 0 fish in landings; (3) proportion of adults (age 3+) in landings; (4) recruits to age 1; (5) spawning stock biomass and; (6) percent maximum spawning potential. In January 1999, the Commission's Atlantic Menhaden Management Board recommended that the Commission begin developing an amendment to the existing 1992 Plan. This action was based upon the results of an external peer review of the Atlantic menhaden stock assessment which recommended major revisions to the Plan. The current Plan, relying on the six "trigger variables" to monitor changes in stock size and recruitment in the population, are based on landings data that do not reflect true trends in the population. In addition, these trigger values do not result in any direct management and/or regulatory action. The Peer Review Panel recommended replacement of several of these triggers with true biological reference points which would respond to the management goals and result in regulatory changes in the menhaden management process. Furthermore, this Panel recommended that these reference points should address the ecological role of menhaden as a forage base for other species and as a consumer of phytoplankton. The Panel suggested the development of a quota based management system with annual total allowable catch allocated by season and fishing areas. For more information on coastal Atlantic menhaden management, please visit the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) web site. Currently, the biological background section for a Chesapeake Bay Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden has been drafted and various management options have been considered; however, no decisions have been made and no documents have been finalized. Commercial and Recreational Fisheries Atlantic menhaden used to be heavily fished along the entire Atlantic coast. It was the second most important species harvested in the United States in terms of quantity, and was processed for its oil, protein meal, and solubles. Now, there is only one reduction plant left which harvests menhaden from the lower Chesapeake Bay and the North Carolina coast. A small bait fishery for commercial and recreational use still exists along the coast. Purse seine fishing for menhaden takes place along the Atlantic coast and in the Virginia half of the Chesapeake Bay. Menhaden are captured in pound nets in Maryland's portion of the Bay. The primary gear for harvesting menhaden for the oil and protein meal products is the purse seine. Maryland has prohibited purse seining in state waters (0-3 miles from the coast), and in Chesapeake Bay since before the 1950s. The use of spotter planes to locate menhaden schools has also been prohibited. A recreational fishery does not exist for Atlantic menhaden in Maryland. Current management restrictions on Atlantic menhaden can be found on our updated commercial and recreational regulations page. Atlantic Menhaden Fun Facts: * A large crustacean parasite is commonly found in the mouth of Atlantic menhaden; hence, the common name, "Bugmouth". * The maximum size of Atlantic menhaden is approximately 15 inches. * Summer "kills" of large numbers of menhaden are common in Chesapeake Bay and are associated with low dissolved oxygen events.