Species: Clupea pallasii

Pacific Herring
Species

    Pacific herrings have a compressed body, blue-green to olive back, silvery belly, one short dorsal fin in the middle of the back, no spines in the fins, a deeply forked tail, no adipose fin, no black spots on the sides, no striations on the gill covers, and weak belly scutes that are not strongly keeled. The pelvic fin is directly under the dorsal fin. Maximum length is about 1.5 feet (46 cm).

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    Rate of ocean acidification may accelerate, scientists warn

    Last summer, scientists met at the University of Washington to address alarming findings concerning the rapid acidification of the world's oceans. Experts at that symposium warned that wildlife in the Salish Sea, from salmon to shellfish, may start to see significant effects from changing water chemistry within the next 10 to 20 years. This article summarizes the symposium's key findings and was commissioned and edited by the Washington Ocean Acidification Center which hosted the gathering. Funds for the article were provided by the Washington state legislature. [A version of this article was originally published by the Washington Ocean Acidification Center.]

    In laboratory experiments, a pteropod shell dissolved over the course of 45 days in seawater adjusted to an ocean chemistry projected for the year 2100. Photo: NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory
    Ancient harvests: A history of Salish Sea herring

    Scientists believe that herring have been a staple of Salish Sea food and culture since humans first arrived here at least 12,500 years ago. That importance has continued into modern times, even as herring numbers have declined in parts of the region. 

    Herring fishing boats in the Strait of Georgia, BC
    The herring defenders

    Each winter and spring, researchers survey the sometimes spectacular spawning events of Puget Sound's Pacific herring. They have found wide swings in the fish's population and an overall decline in herring numbers since the 1970s, but little is known about the cause or what this might mean for the health of the food web. We spent a day with a biologist spotting herring eggs and considering the future of one of our region's most ecologically and culturally important fish species. 

    Clouds of herring milt in the water seen during spawning season near Brinnon, WA on Hood Canal, March 2019. Photo: copyright John Gussman, with permission http://www.dcproductions.com
    Assessment and management of Salish Sea herring

    A 2018 report published by the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife brings together an assessment of key science and other knowledge related to herring recovery in the Salish Sea. The report was produced with support from the SeaDoc Society and received input from a cross-border team from state and federal agencies, universities and area tribes.

    Puget Sound herring eggs on seaweed. Margaret Siple/University of Washington
    Pacific herring distribution in Puget Sound

    Pacific herring are a pelagic fish species found from northern Baja California to northern Honshu Island, Japan. They are found throughout the Puget Sound basin and are a mix of “resident” and “migratory” stocks. 

    Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii). Image courtesy of NOAA.
    Climate change and ocean acidification may affect herring development

    New research shows that warmer and more acidic oceans could lead to shorter embryos and higher respiration in Pacific herring.

    Herring embryos. Photo courtesy of NOAA
    Managing the Salish Sea’s ‘Herring 401 K’

    Scientists argue that herring managers should take a tip from stock market investors and diversify the population’s “portfolio.” 

    Pacific herring are small forage fish that fit in the palm of your hand. Photo: Margaret Siple
    New studies on emerging threats to salmon

    Chemicals, disease and other stressors can increase a salmon's chance of being eaten or reduce its ability to catch food. We wrap up our series on the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project with a look at some of the lesser-known, but still significant factors contributing to salmon declines in the Salish Sea.

    Chinook salmon leaping at the Ballard Locks in Seattle. Photo: Ingrid Taylar (CC BY 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/taylar/29739921130
    Removal of creosote-treated pilings may assist herring recovery

    Researchers are analyzing the harmful effects of creosote-treated wood pilings on Pacific herring and shellfish in Puget Sound. Studies show that piling removal projects can ease the impacts, but only if carefully done. 

    Creosote removal project in Puget Sound. Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
    Stormwater mimics oil spill's effect on Pacific herring

    Pacific herring exposed to stormwater in Puget Sound show some of the same effects as fish exposed to major oil spills. Symptoms include heart and developmental problems.  

    Pacific herring exposed to 50% urban stormwater runoff experienced stunted growth, unabsorbed yolk sacs, and smaller eyes than control seawater Photo credit: Louisa Harding, WSU
    PCBs in fish remain steady while other toxics decline

    A new study shows a surprising decline in some toxic chemicals in Puget Sound fish, while levels of PCBs increased in some cases. Scientists say the study shows that banning toxic chemicals can work, but old contaminants remain a challenge as they continue to wash into Puget Sound.

    English Sole (Parophrys vetulus) in Puget Sound. Photo: biodiversityguy https://biodiversityguy.smugmug.com/Underwater/Reference-List-Photos-of/i-3GgD5hB/A
    The secret lives of forage fish: Where do they go when we aren’t looking?

    Some of the most important fish in the Salish Sea food web are also the most mysterious. Researchers have only begun to understand how many there are, where they go, and how we can preserve their populations for the future. A University of Washington researcher describes how scientists are looking into the problem.

    Pacific sand lance at rest on sand. Photo: Collin Smith, USGS. https://www.flickr.com/photos/usgeologicalsurvey/13378704834
    New theory rethinks spread of PCBs and other toxics in Puget Sound

    Researchers are proposing a shift in thinking about how some of the region’s most damaging pollutants enter Puget Sound species like herring, salmon and orcas.

    Puget Sound's orcas are among the most contaminated marine mammals in the world. Photo: Minette Layne (CC-BY-2.0) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale#/media/File:Orca_porpoising.jpg
    Population diversity in Pacific herring of the Puget Sound

    A 2016 paper in the journal Oecologia describes how individual herring populations in Puget Sound exhibit a portfolio effect, collectively influencing and stabilizing the region’s population as a whole. 

    Young adult herring from Puget Sound.Margaret Siple/University of Washington
    Disease in herring threatens broader food web

    Pacific herring have long been considered an essential part of the Puget Sound food web. Now, studies are beginning to reveal how diseases in herring could be reverberating through the ecosystem, affecting creatures large and small. We continue our coverage of the ecological impacts of disease in Puget Sound with this look at the region's most well-known forage fish.

    Pathogen-free herring are reared from eggs to allow a wide range of experiments on infectious organisms at the Marrowstone Marine Field Station. Photo: Christopher Dunagan
    Puget Sound's Health 1998

    In 1996 the Washington State Legislature decided that, in order to effectively target protection efforts in the future, it was time to evaluate how well current efforts to protect Puget Sound are working.

    Puget Sound's Health 1998 report cover page
    Puget Sound's Health 2002

    This is the Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team's third report on key indicators of Puget Sound's Health. We prepared the report in response to the Washington State Legislature's request to evaluate efforts to protect Puget Sound. The report includes updated information on the 17 indicators presented in 2000 as well as information on two new indicators.

    Puget Sound's Health 2002 report cover page
    Foraging differences between male and female harbor seals present challenges for fisheries management

    A 2015 article published in the Marine Ecology Progress Series identifies intraspecific differences in diet between harbor seals in the Salish Sea, suggesting implications for marine reserve management. 

    Harbor seal photographed by Andreas Trepte. Available through a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.5 license.
    Habitat limitation and spatial variation in Pacific herring egg survival

    Puget Sound herring reproduction is not limited by the amount of suitable spawning vegetation, according to a November 2014 paper in the journal Marine Ecology. The article points to terrestrial or marine variables as likely determinants of egg loss.

    Closeup of herring spawn on kelp. Photo credit: Tessa Francis
    Declines in marine birds trouble scientists

    Why did all the grebes leave? Where did they go? And what does their disappearance say about the health of the Salish Sea? Seasonal declines among some regional bird species could hold important clues to the overall health of the ecosystem.

    Western grebe. Public Pier, Blaine, WA. Photo: Andrew Reding https://www.flickr.com/photos/seaotter/10298390254
    Study panel on ecosystem-based management of forage fish in Puget Sound

    Forage fish represent a critical link in the Puget Sound food web and help to sustain key species like salmon, marine mammals and sea birds. But the region’s forage fish may be vulnerable on a variety of fronts, according to a new study panel report from the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute. Download the panel's summary and proposed research plan.

    Photo courtesy of USGS
    Presentations: 2013 study panel on ecosystem-based management of forage fish in Puget Sound

    Download presentations from the Study Panel on Ecosystem-based Management of Forage Fish held August 25, 2013 at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Lab, San Juan Island.

    Paper: Shifts in the estuarine demersal fish community after a fishery closure in Puget Sound, Washington

    This paper looks at 21 years of data on estuarine demersal fish in Puget Sound, assessing changes in population after the closure of bottom trawl fisheries.

    Rock Sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata); image courtesy Freshwater and Marine Image Bank, University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections
    Field notes: Are Puget Sound herring limited by loss of eelgrass?

    Could recent declines in Puget Sound herring be linked to decreases in native eelgrass? Biologist Tessa Francis reports on a new study that may provide insight into the health of one of the region's most iconic forage fish.

    Closeup of herring spawn on kelp.
    Marine forage fishes in Puget Sound

    This is the executive summary from a technical report produced for the Puget Sound Nearshore Partnership on Valued Ecosystem Components (VEC). The entire document is included as a PDF with this summary.

    Pacific herring. Photo courtesy of NOAA.
    Forage fish in Puget Sound

    Forage fish occupy every marine and estuarine nearshore habitat in Washington, and much of the intertidal and shallow subtidal areas of the Puget Sound Basin are used by these species for spawning habitat.

    Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii). Image courtesy of NOAA.
    Kingdom
    Animalia
    Phylum
    Craniata
    Class

    Actinopterygii

    Order

    Clupeiformes

    Family

    Clupeidae

    Genus

    Clupea

    Classification
    Other Global Common Names
    hareng du Pacifique
    Informal Taxonomy
    Animals, Vertebrates - Fishes - Bony Fishes - Other Bony Fishes
    Formal Taxonomy
    Animalia - Craniata - Actinopterygii - Clupeiformes - Clupeidae - Clupea - Formerly regarded as conspecific with the Atlantic herring, C. HARENGUS. Based on a study of biochemical genetics, Grant (Copeia 1986:714) recognized HARENGUS and PALLASI as distinct species, an action followed in the 1991 AFS checklist (Robins et al. 1991).

    Pacific herrings have a compressed body, blue-green to olive back, silvery belly, one short dorsal fin in the middle of the back, no spines in the fins, a deeply forked tail, no adipose fin, no black spots on the sides, no striations on the gill covers, and weak belly scutes that are not strongly keeled. The pelvic fin is directly under the dorsal fin. Maximum length is about 1.5 feet (46 cm).

    Habitat Type Description
    Marine
    Migration
    false - false - false
    Non-migrant
    false
    Locally Migrant
    false
    Reproduction Comments
    In California, the spawning season extends from November to June (mainly winter). In Alaska, spawning occurs March-June, although the season may be shorter than this in a particular location. In large mass spawnings the water often appears milky over the entire spawning area due to the presence of abundant milt. Eggs hatch in 1-2 weeks, depending on the temperature.
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    GNR
    Other Status

    PS:C - NMFS (2001, 2005)) concluded that petitioned populations of Pacific herring do not constitute a species under the ESA but are part of a larger Georgia Basin Pacific herring DPS that does not warrant listing as threatened or endangered.

    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=SNR&CA.NT=SNR&US.AK=SNR&US.CA=SNR&US.OR=S4&US.WA=SNR" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    Global Range
    Range encompasses coastal areas of the North Pacific Ocean from northern Baja California to the Beaufort Sea, and south in the western Pacific to Japan and Korea; also Arctic coast of Eurasia from the Chukchi Sea to the White Sea.
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105816