Skipjack shad put into place in the northernmost reaches of its distribution. While the skipjack shad has been attributed to the subgenus "Potomolobius" of the genus "Alosa" along with other North American shad species, it has been found to be phylogenetically the most basal of the "Alosa" species, which are also found in Europe and Western Asia. Skipjack shad The skipjack shad ("Alosa chrysochloris") is a North American, migratory, fresh- and brackish water fish species in the herring family Clupeidae. The name skipjack shad comes from the fact that it is commonly seen leaping out of the water while feeding. Other common
American herring gull American herring gull The American herring gull or Smithsonian gull ("Larus smithsonianus" or "Larus argentatus smithsonianus") is a large gull that breeds in North America, where it is treated by the American Ornithologists' Union as a subspecies of herring gull ("L. argentatus"). Adults are white with gray back and wings, black wingtips with white spots, and pink legs. Immature birds are gray-brown and are darker and more uniform than European herring gulls, with a darker tail. It occurs in a variety of habitats including coasts, lakes, rivers and garbage dumps. Its broad diet includes invertebrates, fish, and many other items.