Description

The Pacific Northern herring (Clupea pallasii) is a small, silvery pelagic fish forming immense schools along the North Pacific Rim—from California to Alaska, across the Bering Sea, and along Russia and Japan. Adults typically measure 20–33 cm and weigh around 100–300 g, characterized by a deep, laterally compressed body, a single dorsal fin, and reflective scales.

Herring are famous for their synchronized schooling behavior, which functions both for predator avoidance and feeding efficiency. They consume primarily zooplankton—especially copepods and euphausiids—by filtering them from the water column. Their life cycle features dramatic spring spawning events in shallow waters where they attach adhesive eggs to kelp, eelgrass, and rocky substrates.

Pacific herring are ecologically foundational, serving as a major prey species for seals, seabirds, salmon, orcas, and humans. Their energy density and predictability have made them one of the most culturally important forage fishes in the Northern Pacific.