The Gulf menhaden is a small marine filter feeding fish belonging to the family Clupeidae

Clupeidae

Clupeidae is the family of the herrings, shads, sardines, hilsa and menhadens. It includes many of the most important food fishes in the world.-Description and biology:...

. The range of Gulf menhaden encompasses the entirety of the Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...

 nearshore waters, with the exception of the extreme eastern Yucatan

Yucatán

Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....

 and western Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

. Evidence from morphology and DNA analyses suggest that the Gulf menhaden is the Gulf of Mexico complement to the Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus). Both species support large commercial reduction fisheries, with Gulf menhaden supporting the 2nd largest fishery, by weight, in the United States.

Range and Distribution

The Gulf menhaden occurs throughout the Gulf of Mexico, but its distribution is patchy. The center of distribution of the species appears to be the northwest/northcentral Gulf, particularly in Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

 and Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 where populations are very large and numerous. In the southern Gulf of Mexico the range of Gulf menhaden overlaps that of the closely related finescale menhaden (Brevoortia gunteri), and there is evidence for resource partitioning (a process whereby closely related species occurring in close proximity results in subtle differences in ecological niches) between these species. In the eastern Gulf, the range of Gulf menhaden overlaps that of the yellowfin menhaden (Brevoortia smithi), and hybridization between these species has been demonstrated using morphological and DNA evidence. Gulf menhaden also may have a presence on the southern Atlantic coast of Florida, although this finding is based primarily upon DNA evidence.

General Biology

The Gulf menhaden is a filter feeder which uses modifications of the branchial apparatus

Branchial apparatus

The branchial apparatus is an embryological structure.It consists of:* branchial grooves * branchial arches * pharyngeal pouches * branchial membranes...

 (gill arches and gill rakers) for food capture. Although they are generalist planktivores, they may specialize on particular prey sizes or types, depending upon developmental stage, as well as the presence of interspecific competitors. Spawning occurs offshore in winter (October–March). Eggs and larvae are pelagic and are carried into estuarine nursery areas via prevailing currents. As a result, migration at this stage can be lengthy, and populations of Gulf menhaden throughout the Gulf of Mexico are generally thought to comprise a single genetic stock.

The Gulf menhaden fishery

The Gulf menhaden supports the 2nd largest fishery, by weight, in the United States, and dates to the 1800s. On average, 400-600 kilotons of Gulf menhaden are extracted and used for reduction annually, with a much smaller number being captured for use as bait. Recently the use of menhaden has come under criticism, particularly following the scathing evaluation of the industry by H. Bruce Franklin in his book entitled “The Most Important Fish in the Sea: Menhaden and America”. Scientific counterpoints to the Franklin book can be found, and there is some debate as to whether the fishery has surpassed sustainable levels. In any event, current industry landings are comparable to historical landings despite the fact that there are fewer vessels and reduction plants operating than at any other time since the peak of the industry in the mid-1980s.

External links

• Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, menhaden page