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herring
herring common name for members of the large, widely distributed family Clupeidae, comprising many species of marine and fresh-water food fishes, including the sardine ( Sardinia ), the menhaden ( Brevoortia ), and the shad ( Alosa ). Herrings are relatively small but very abundant; they swim in huge schools, feeding on plankton and small animals and plants. The adult common herring, Clupea harengus, found in temperate and cold waters of the North Atlantic, is about 1 ft (30 cm) long with silvery sides and blue back. It lays up to 30,000 eggs, which sink to the sea bottom and develop there; the young mature in three years. Other species lay their eggs in seaweed in shallow waters, and still others, the anadromous types, spawn in large rivers. Best known of these is the American shad, Alosa sapidissima. Another common anadromous herring is the alewife, A. pseudoharengus (15 in./37.5 cm), found along the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to South Carolina and landlocked in Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes of New York. The menhaden is an extremely abundant species of the Atlantic coast of North America. It was used by Native Americans to fertilize their cornfields (its name is the Narraganset word for "fertilizing" ); a billion pounds of menhaden per year is converted into oil and fish meal. The skipjack, a streamlined, steel-blue herring 15 in. long, is found in the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. Its name, which is also applied to the much smaller and unrelated silversides and to a much larger and unrelated bonito (see tuna ), describes any fish with a habit of leaping clear of the water. Of the smaller food herrings and related species, the anchovies and sardines are the most important. The American anchovies, Engraulis encrasicholus, belong to the closely related family Engraulidae, are about 4 in. (10 cm) long, inhabit warm seas, and are chiefly valuable as food for other fishes. Spanish and Italian anchovies, found in the Mediterranean and nearby Atlantic, are cured by a process involving fermentation; the small European herrings (called sprats, or brislings) are cured without fermentation and are sold as Norwegian, or Swedish, anchovies and sardines. The name sardine is also applied to various small fish packed with oil or sauce in flat cans. The true sardine from France, Spain, and Portugal is usually the young pilchard ( Sardinia pilchardus ) of Mediterranean and Atlantic coastal waters. Sardine fishing and canning are an important industry in Maine, where small herrings are used, and in California, where the sardine is a species closely related to the European pilchard. The larger herrings are dried, smoked, salted, or pickled and sold in nearly all parts of the world under such names as bloaters, kippers, and red herrings. The name sprat is sometimes applied to certain American species of commercial herring. Herrings are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Clupeiformes, family Clupeidae. |
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"herring." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "herring." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-herring.html "herring." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-herring.html |
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herring
herring are one of the 216 species of the Clupeidae, a family of fishes that includes some of the most important commercial species in the world. They are all pelagic fishes that form dense shoals and feed on plankton. They are caught commercially using purse seine and drift nets. In European waters the herring Clupea harengus is the most important of these fishes, together with sprats and pilchards and, in the Mediterranean, anchovies. A herring, given the chance, will live for over ten years and grow to nearly a kilogram (2 lb) in weight. They have quite specific demands for their spawning grounds, preferring shallow regions where the seabed is muddy and the currents are weak. Their eggs are heavy and settle onto the seabed before hatching. One result of this preference is that the overall population of herring is divided into a number of different stocks, each with a specific spawning area and each tending to spawn at different seasons.
Historically, the herring played a significant political role because wealth from herring fisheries and the salt trade underpinned the power of the Hanseatic League. One of the factors that contributed to the waning in the power of the league was the collapse of the stocks of herring in northern European waters, probably because of climate change with the onset of the mini-ice age in the 17th century. Bibliography Hardy, A. , The Open Sea: Its Natural History Pt II. Fish and Fisheries (1959).http://home.eznet.net/˜dminor/O&E9706.htmlhttp://192.171.163.165/history.htm M. V. Angel |
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"herring." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "herring." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-herring.html "herring." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-herring.html |
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herring
herring Oily fish, Clupea harengus; young herrings are sild. Sprat is Clupea sprattus; young are brislings. Pilchard is Clupea pilchardus; young are sardines. Kippers, bloaters, and red herrings are salted and smoked herrings; bucklings are hot‐smoked herrings. Gaffelbitar is preserved herring. A 150‐g portion (weighed with bones), grilled, is an exceptionally rich source of vitamins D, B12, and selenium; a rich source of protein, niacin, and vitamin B6; a source of vitamins B1, B2, iodine, and iron; contains 200 mg of sodium, about 13–28 g of fat, varying with the season, of which one‐third is saturated and half is mono‐unsaturated; supplies 200–360 kcal (800–1500 kJ).
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DAVID A. BENDER. "herring." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAVID A. BENDER. "herring." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-herring.html DAVID A. BENDER. "herring." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-herring.html |
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Clupeidae
Clupeidae (herring, shad; subclass Actinopterygii, order Clupeiformes) A large family of mainly marine fish which have compressed, streamlined bodies with a single, soft-rayed, dorsal fin half-way down the back, and a forked tail fin. Nearly all clupeids have protruding scales, giving the ventral side a rough or serrated appearance. The family includes many commercially important species, e.g. Clupea harengula (herring), Sardina pilchardus (pilchard), and Brevoortia tyrannus (Atlantic menhaden). Some species, e.g. Dorosoma cepedianum (American gizzard shad), are found only in freshwater systems. Like many other clupeids, they move in large schools, feeding on plankton. They are found world-wide, in temperate and tropical waters.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Clupeidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "Clupeidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Clupeidae.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "Clupeidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Clupeidae.html |
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herring
herring Marine fish found worldwide. One of the most important food fish, various species are canned as pilchard or sardine, or sold fresh, pickled, or smoked (as kippers and bloaters). Herrings have a laterally compressed body and a deeply forked tail fin. Length: 8–46cm (3–18in). Family Clupeidae; the 190 species include Clupea harengus.
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"herring." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "herring." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-herring.html "herring." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-herring.html |
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herring
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T. F. HOAD. "herring." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "herring." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-herring.html T. F. HOAD. "herring." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-herring.html |
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herring
her·ring / ˈhering/ • n. a silvery fish (Clupea and other genera) that is most abundant in coastal waters and is of great commercial importance as a food fish in many parts of the world. The herring family (Clupeidae) also includes the sprats, shads, and pilchards. |
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"herring." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "herring." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-herring.html "herring." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-herring.html |
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herring
herring every herring must hang by its own gill everyone is accountable for their own actions; saying recorded from the early 17th century.
See also neither fish nor fowl nor good red herring, red herring. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "herring." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "herring." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-herring.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "herring." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-herring.html |
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herring
herring See CLUPEIDAE.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "herring." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "herring." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-herring.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "herring." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-herring.html |
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herring
herring
•handspring • hamstring • herring
•headspring • wellspring
•airing, ballbearing, bearing, Behring, Bering, caring, daring, fairing, hardwearing, pairing, paring, raring, sparing, Waring, wearing
•talebearing • childbearing
•wayfaring • seafaring • cheeseparing
•time-sharing • mainspring • keyring
•gee-string • watch spring • offspring
•boring, flooring, Goring, riproaring, roaring, scoring, shoring
•drawstring • goalscoring
•outpouring • bowstring • shoestring
•bullring
•auctioneering, clearing, earring, electioneering, engineering, gearing, orienteering, privateering, shearing
•God-fearing • puppeteering
•firing, retiring, uninspiring, untiring, wiring
•during, mooring, reassuring, Turing
•posturing • restructuring
•meandering • rendering
•pondering, wandering
•ordering • maundering
•plundering, thundering, wondering
•offering • suffering • fingering
•scaremongering • hankering
•flickering, Pickering
•tinkering • hammering • glimmering
•unmurmuring • tampering
•whimpering • whispering
•smattering, unflattering
•earthshattering • schoolmastering
•Kettering • self-catering • wittering
•quartering, watering
•faltering • roistering • muttering
•gathering • woolgathering
•blithering
•flavouring (US flavoring), unwavering
•quivering
•manoeuvring (US maneuvering)
•covering • wallcovering
•Goering, stirring, unerring
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"herring." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "herring." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-herring.html "herring." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-herring.html |
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