Threadfin Shad

At a glance

Threadfin Shad (Dorosoma petenense) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 6 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.

Confirmed by 972 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Texas, South Carolina, and California the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Named for the slender, thread-like filament trailing from the last ray of its dorsal fin.
• Rarely exceeds 6 inches in length, considerably smaller than the related gizzard shad.
• Cannot survive water temperatures below about 45°F, making severe winters a regular cause of mass die-offs.
• Widely introduced into southern and western US reservoirs as a forage base for sport fish.
• Schools in tight formations of thousands, creating glittering silver masses visible from the surface.

Where Threadfin Shad are seen

• Texas299 iNat obs
• South Carolina169 iNat obs
• California118 iNat obs
• Alabama50 iNat obs
• Tennessee50 iNat obs
• Florida43 iNat obs

Jurisdictions with rules for Threadfin Shad

• CaliforniaUnited States · official source
• ConnecticutUnited States · official source
• KansasUnited States · official source
• TennesseeUnited States · official source
• TexasUnited States · official source

Background

The threadfin shad is a small pelagic freshwater forage fish common in lakes, large streams and reservoirs of the Southeastern United States. Like the American gizzard shad, the threadfin shad has an elongated dorsal fin, but unlike the gizzard shad, its mouth is more terminal without a projecting upper jaw. The fins of threadfin shad often have a yellowish color, especially the caudal fin. The…

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Threadfin Shad article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

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