# Pacific Herring (*Clupea harengus pallasi*) The Pacific Herring is a small fish with a shiny body that swims in the Pacific Ocean. They are known for their tasty flavor! - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Pacific Ocean - **Also known as:** Herring, Pacific Sardine ![Pacific Herring](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424536/objects/4698.jpg) ## Appearance The Pacific Herring has a slender, torpedo-shaped body with a dark blue-green back and brilliant silvery sides. It lacks scales on its head and has a deeply forked tail, making it appear sleek and quick underwater. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Clupeiformes - **Family:** Clupeidae - **Genus:** Clupea ## Interesting facts - Herring eggs are incredibly sticky and can coat entire seabeds during spawning! - Pacific Herring communicate by releasing gas from their anuses – essentially, they 'fart'! - Their tiny scales were once collected and used to make artificial pearls sparkle. - They are sometimes called 'silver of the sea' due to their shiny scales and abundance. ## Special abilities - **Mega Schooler:** Pacific Herring can gather in massive schools because of their strong social bonds that helps them confuse predators. - **Super Sonar Ears:** Pacific Herring has excellent hearing that helps them detect approaching predators and communicate with their schoolmates. - **Quick Egg Layer:** Pacific Herring can lay tens of thousands of sticky eggs quickly that helps them ensure many survive and attach to surfaces. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 15-30 cm - **Weight:** 0.1-0.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-15 years - **Swim Speed:** 25 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 200 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding Pacific Herring are filter-feeders, mostly eating tiny ocean critters and plants. - **Age differences:** Young herring eat smaller zooplankton; adults consume a wider range of larger plankton. - **Primary Foods:** copepods, euphausiids (krill), amphipods, diatoms, larval fish - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Orca](https://www.snappit.app/explore/orca) (*Orcinus orca*) — Orcas hunt herring schools for energy. - **Eats:** [Harbor Seal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/harbor-seal) (*Phoca vitulina*) — Harbor seals are common predators of Pacific Herring. - **Eats:** [Arctic Tern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/arctic-tern) (*Sterna paradisaea*) — Terns dive into schools to catch these silvery fish. - **Eats:** [Chinook Salmon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/chinook-salmon) (*Oncorhynchus tshawytscha*) — Many salmon species rely on herring for food. - **Eaten by:** Pacific Krill (*Euphausia pacifica*) — Herring filter-feed on krill and other tiny ocean critters. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Pacific Herring? 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 Pacific Herring? 15-30 cm ### How much does Pacific Herring weigh? 0.1-0.5 kg ### How long does Pacific Herring live? 5-15 years ### What does Pacific Herring eat? Pacific Herring are filter-feeders, mostly eating tiny ocean critters and plants. ### How fast can Pacific Herring swim? 25 km/h ### Where is Pacific Herring usually found? Pacific Ocean ### How does Pacific Herring hunt? Filter feeding ## Where to spot - [Monterey Bay Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/monterey-bay-aquarium-california) — California, US · Aquarium ## 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: [Pacific Herring: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pacific-herring)