Blueback herring Government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, has some concerns regarding status and threats, but for which insufficient information is available to indicate a need to list the species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Blueback herring The blueback herring or blueback shad ("Alosa aestivalis") is an anadromous species of herring from the east coast of North America, with a range from Nova Scotia to Florida. Blueback herring form schools and are believed to migrate offshore to overwinter near the bottom. These fish are silvery in color, have a series of scutes (modified, spiny and keeled
Alosa lifespan of "Alosa" species can be up to 10 years, but this is generally uncommon, as many die after spawning. The systematics and distribution of "Alosa" shads are complex. The genus inhabits a wide range of habitats, and many taxa are migratory. A few forms are landlocked, including one from Killarney in Ireland, two from lakes in northern Italy, and two in Greece. Several species are native to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. "Alosa" species of the Caspian are systemically characterized by the number of rakers on the first gill arch. They are classified as being "multirakered", "medium-rakered", or