Alosa braschnikowi Alosa braschnikowi Alosa braschnikowi, the Caspian marine shad or Brazhnikov's shad, is one of the clupeid fish species endemic to the Caspian Sea. This is a relatively large shad, typically 30 cm and up to 50 cm length. It also has a more "herring-like" body shape than other Caspian shad species, being a slender and elongate fish. It has well developed teeth in both jaws. "Alosa braschnikowi" feeds on small fishes but also on crustaceans and occasionally other invertebrates. It performs migrations within the Caspian Sea, but does not enter rivers. Several subspecies have been described, with different breeding habits
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge have extensive vernal pool habitat that would benefit several Species of Concern. Coastal marshes, bays, tidal creeks, and rivers support diverse shellfish and finfish populations. Sunfish ("Lepomis" species), creek chub ("Semotilus atromaculatus"), cunner ("Tautogolabrus adspersus"), golden shiner ("Notemigonus crysoleucas"), common mummichog ("Fundulus heteroclitus"), American eel ("Anguilla rostrata"), and white sucker ("Catostomus commersoni") abound. Brook trout ("Salvelinus fontinalis") and brown trout ("Salmo trutta") are stocked in rivers and estuaries each year. The Ogunquit River sustains alewife ("Alosa pseudoharengus"), blueback herring ("Alosa aestivalis"), pollock ("Pollachius virens"), bluefish ("Pomatomus saltatrix"), longhorn sculpin ("Myoxocephalus octodecimspinosus"), and winter flounder ("Pleuronectes americanus"). The Webhannet River has