Twait shad are silvery, sometimes with a bronzy tinge, and there are a distinctive row of six to ten large dark spot just behind the gill cover though these may fade when the fish is dead. The adult length is typically . The twait shad is found in most of Europe and all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. "Alosa fallax" has a similar lifecycle to "A. alosa" (allis shad). They are known to live in sympatry. Some studies have suggested "A. fallax" and "A. alosa" species can hybridize. They are anadromous species, like many other species in the genus "Alosa". However, some
West African pygmy herring West African pygmy herring The West African pygmy herring ("Sierrathrissa leonensis") is a very small fish, reaching a maximum length of SL, is a member of the herring family Clupeidae, and belongs to a radiation of the subfamily Pellonulinae in the freshwater systems of western and central Africa that includes such species as the "Microthrissa royauxi" of the Congo River basin and "Limnothrissa miodon" of Lake Tanganyika. It is the only species of its genus. A very small fish which shows a reduction in size and some neoteny when compared to its larger relatives. The West African pygmy herring is