Atlantic Herring
Clupea harengus
Also known as: Herring, Red Herring, Whitebait, Yawling, Baltic Herring
About This Species
A schooling forage fish of the North Atlantic, found in vast numbers in coastal and shelf waters, particularly where cold, nutrient-rich currents concentrate plankton. Shoals are usually detected indirectly, through diving seabirds, feeding whales, or dense sonar returns, rather than by direct observation from shore. Autumn and winter spawning aggregations in traditional grounds are when concentrations are highest.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- As a wide-ranging schooling species there is no meaningful individual approach distance; the main consideration is respecting local fisheries closures and spawning-ground protections, which vary by country and are actively enforced in many herring fisheries.
- Anyone fishing or boating near known spawning or nursery areas should follow regional catch and season regulations.
- Avoid disturbing associated wildlife, such as feeding seabird or cetacean aggregations, when observing a shoal from a boat.
LCNaNClupeiformesClupeidae
Seasonal Activity
159,528 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- NaN
- Order
- Clupeiformes
- Family
- Clupeidae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.