Longfin gizzard shad

Description

The Mexican river gizzard shad is a herring-like fish of the family Clupeidae from Central America. The species grows to about 24 cm and has a deep, laterally compressed, silvery body with a blunt snout and an inferior mouth. It occurs in rivers and, unlike many relatives, has not yet been recorded from brackish water. As a filter feeder it sifts phytoplankton, detritus and small zooplankton from the water, which it processes with a muscular, gizzard-like stomach. It forms schools in the open water column. As an abundant prey fish it is an important link in the river ecosystem and is harmless to humans.