Species profile
Pacific Herring
Clupea pallasii
Identify Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) from a photo — free, unlimited, no sign-up — with the CatchRules iPhone app. Plus current fishing rules across 9 jurisdictions.
At a glance
Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) is an IUCN Data Deficient bony-fish species regulated in 10 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 10 (Washington); the most generous is 500 (Alaska).
Confirmed by 1,881 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with British Columbia, Washington, and Alaska the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Adults typically reach 9 to 12 inches long and are a cornerstone prey species of the North Pacific.
- Spawning females deposit sticky eggs directly onto kelp and eelgrass fronds in nearshore bays.
- Mass spawning events turn the water milky white, drawing whales, seals, eagles, and diving birds.
- Their roe, called kazunoko, is a prized delicacy in Japan and drives a major commercial fishery.
- Form some of the largest fish schools on Earth, sometimes numbering in the billions.
Where Pacific Herring are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Pacific Herring
Background
The Pacific herring is a species of the herring family associated with the Pacific Ocean environment of North America and northeast Asia. It is a silvery fish with unspined fins and a deeply forked caudal fin. The distribution is widely along the California coast from Baja California north to Alaska and the Bering Sea; in Asia, the distribution is south to Japan, Korea, and China.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Pacific Herring article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Frequently asked questions
What is Pacific Herring?
Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) is an IUCN Data Deficient bony-fish species regulated in 10 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
What is the scientific name for Pacific Herring?
Pacific Herring is Clupea pallasii.
Is Pacific Herring regulated for fishing?
Yes — Pacific Herring has fishing regulations in 9 U.S. states and/or Canadian provinces tracked by CatchRules. See the "Jurisdictions with rules" section above for the binding-source links.
How can I identify Pacific Herring?
Take a photo with the free CatchRules iPhone app — on-device identification recognizes Pacific Herring along with ~1,500 other species. No sign-up, unlimited use.
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.