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Glut Herring; Summer Herring
This species occurs on our Atlantic coast form New England to the Carolinas.
It is less abundant northward than the alewife and appears in the streams somewhat later than that species. Southward it is sometimes exceedingly abundant, hence the name "glut herring." Other names by which it is known are blueback, black-belly, saw-belly, and kyach. As a food-fish it is less valuable than the alewife.
Head 5; depth 3 1/2. Very similar to the preceding, from which it is best distinguished by the black peritoneum; body more elongate, the fins lower, the eye smaller, and the back darker; first ray of dorsal not equal to base of fin.
GENUS ALOSA CUVIER
The Shad
Body deep, compressed, deeper than in related American genera; the head also deep, the free portion of the cheek deeper than long; jaws toothless; upper jaw with a sharp, deep notch at tip, the premaxillaries meeting at a very acute angle; otherwise as in Pomolobus, to which this genus is closely allied. There are 2 or 3 American species.
a. Gillrakers very numerous, usually more than 100 on first arch;
sapidissima, 105
aa. Gillrakers less numerous, not more than 70 on first arch;
alabamae, 108