# American Gizzard Shad (*dorosoma cepedianum*) The American Gizzard Shad is a shiny fish that loves to swim in schools. It has a special gizzard that helps it eat tiny plants and animals in the water! - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Lakes, rivers, and reservoirs across North America - **Also known as:** American Shad, Gizzard Shad, Shad ![American Gizzard Shad](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Dorosoma_cepedianum_GLERL.jpg&width=800) Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dorosoma_cepedianum_GLERL.jpg) ## Appearance The American Gizzard Shad has a distinctive deep, silvery body, often with a slightly darker blue-green back. Its most notable feature is a very long, whip-like ray extending from the dorsal fin. They also possess a small head and a blunt snout. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Clupeiformes - **Family:** Clupeidae - **Genus:** Dorosoma ## Interesting facts - Their long dorsal fin ray can be longer than their whole head! - They are named for their gizzard-like stomach, just like a chicken! - They play a super important role, turning tiny particles into food for bigger fish! - Thousands of Gizzard Shad often swim together in huge, shimmering schools! ## Special abilities - **Rock-Grinding Gut:** American Gizzard Shad has a muscular gizzard stomach, similar to birds, that helps them grind tough plant material. - **Tiny Food Filter:** American Gizzard Shad can filter-feed using special gill rakers, allowing them to eat microscopic plankton from water. - **Pollution Tolerator:** American Gizzard Shad can survive in murkier, less oxygenated, and even slightly polluted waters that many other fish avoid. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 20-40 cm - **Weight:** 0.2-1 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Swim Speed:** 20 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 20 m - **Water Type:** Brackish ## Diet & Feeding They are filter-feeders, scooping up tiny plants and decaying bits from the water. - **Age differences:** Younger shad primarily eat zooplankton, while adults shift to consuming more phytoplankton and detritus. - **Primary Foods:** phytoplankton, zooplankton, algae, detritus - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Largemouth Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/largemouth-bass) (*Micropterus salmoides*) — A primary food source for this popular game fish. - **Eaten by:** [Striped Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/striped-bass) (*Morone saxatilis*) — An essential prey item in brackish and freshwater systems. - **Eaten by:** [Osprey](https://www.snappit.app/explore/osprey) (*Pandion haliaetus*) — Often preyed upon by these skilled fish-eating raptors. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify American Gizzard Shad? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is American Gizzard Shad? 20-40 cm ### How much does American Gizzard Shad weigh? 0.2-1 kg ### How long does American Gizzard Shad live? 5-10 years ### What does American Gizzard Shad eat? They are filter-feeders, scooping up tiny plants and decaying bits from the water. ### How fast can American Gizzard Shad swim? 20 km/h ### Where is American Gizzard Shad usually found? Lakes, rivers, and reservoirs across North America ### How does American Gizzard Shad hunt? Filter feeding ## Where to spot - [Avery Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/avery-street-historic-district) — West Virginia, US · Historic District - [Bickelhaupt Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bickelhaupt-arboretum) — Iowa, US · Botanical Garden - [New Indianola Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/new-indianola-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Overbrook Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/overbrook-park) — Florida, US · Park [View all places to see American Gizzard Shad](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/american-gizzard-shad) ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [American Gizzard Shad: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-gizzard-shad)