Gizzard Shad
Order - Clupeiformes
Family - Clupeidae
Genus - Dorosoma
My Body Description
size to 15 inches. Last ray of dorsal fin greatly lenghtened. Mouth small , toothless, upper jaw projecting, dark spot behind gill cover. color gray or greenish dorsally, silvery below.
My Predators
Striped bass
Muskellunge
White bass
dead and dying shad are eaten by crows, turkey vultures, bald eagles and waterfowl.
My Habitat
Mud-bottomed, shallow water. Occurs throughout Tennessee in reservoirs and large rivers, with adults often entering mouths of smaller streams.
My Feeding Habits
Gizzard shad are planktivores, straining fine food items from the water with there numerous gill rakers. Fry feed primarily on copepods and cladocerans with adultseating large amounts of phytoplanktons and zooplanktons.