Gulf Menhaden, which local fishermen call shad, can detect ultrasound used by predators. “Menhaden” comes from a Native American word for fertilizer in which they used to bury the fish under the corn crops for a better yield. They are filter feeding omnivores who not only filter zooplankton but also algae in the water. They are considered to be the most important fish in the ocean because they are an extremely important food source for many marine animals including fish, mammals and birds. This small fish is also a key food source for wildlife like dolphins and whales which shows the interconnectivity of our bayou to the ocean. Menhaden are a pelagic schooling fish that migrate inshore during the summer and off-shore in the winter months. A great blog by our late Chief Naturalist and Director of Conservation Emeritus, the late Mark Kramer can be found here. abnc.org/nature-blog/living-water. Photos by Gary Seloff & Stacy Holcomb
#WildlifeWednesday #fish
