Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2026). FishBase. Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=126417 on 2026-05-04
accepted
Valid name (ICZN) or name considered to be taxonomically correct (ICBN)
Species
Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp.
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp.
Fauna Suecica sistens Animalia Sueciae Regni: Distributa per Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Differentiis Specierum, Synonymis Auctorum, Nominibus Incolarum, Locis Natalium, [The Swedish Fauna containing the Animals of the Kingdom of Sweden: Distributed by Classes, Orders, Genera, Species, with Differences of Species, Synonyms of Authors, Names of Inhabitants, Places of Birth,]Descriptionibus insectorum
Linnaeus, C. (1761). Fauna Suecica sistens Animalia Sueciae Regni: Distributa per Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Differentiis Specierum, Synonymis Auctorum, Nominibus Incolarum, Locis Natalium, [The Swedish Fauna containing the Animals of the Kingdom of Sweden: Distributed by Classes, Orders, Genera, Species, with Differences of Species, Synonyms of Authors, Names of Inhabitants, Places of Birth,]Descriptionibus insectorum. Editio altera, auctior. Stockholmiae, Stockhom, Sweden. 48:1-578. [Copepoda Monoculus, :497-499].
On the supposed identity of whitebait and shad
Yarrell, W. (1828). On the supposed identity of whitebait and shad. Zoological Journal, London. v. 4 (art. 15) (for June-Oct. 1828): 137-144, Pl. 5.
Report, in part, of Samuel L. Mitchill, M. D., Professor of Natural History, &c, on the fishes of New-York
Mitchill, S. L. (1814). Report, in part, of Samuel L. Mitchill, M. D., Professor of Natural History, &c, on the fishes of New-York. D. Carlisle, New York. 1-28.
Descriptions of several new species of North American fishes
Lesueur, C. A. (1818). Descriptions of several new species of North American fishes. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia. v. 1 (pt 2): 222-235; 359-368, Pls. 8-11, 14.
[Notice of a] Clupea taken in the mouth of the Thames
Yarrell, W. (1831). [Notice of a] Clupea taken in the mouth of the Thames. The Philosophical Magazine and Annals of Philosophy, London, N. S. v. 9 (no. 51): 230-231.
A report on the fishes of Massachusetts.
Storer, D. H. (1839). A report on the fishes of Massachusetts. Boston Journal of Natural History. v. 2 (nos 3-4) (art. 12): 289-558, Pls. 6-8. [Also published as separate (possibly first), Fishes of Massachusetts [from: Reports on the fishes, reptiles and birds of Massachusetts], Boston, 1839: 1-202. Plates as I-III in text of separate and journal article but labelled VI-VIII in journal article.].
Histoire naturelle des poissons. Tome vingtième. Livre vingt et unième. De la famille des Clupéoïdes
Cuvier, G.; Valenciennes, A. (1847). Histoire naturelle des poissons. Tome vingtième. Livre vingt et unième. De la famille des Clupéoïdes. Hist. Nat. Poiss. v. 20: i-xviii + 1 p. + 1-472, Pls. 591-606.
Schnakenbeck, W. (1931). Zum Rassenproblem bei den Fischen. Zeitschrift für Morphologie und Ökologie der Tiere. 21 (3-4): 409-566.
Ichthyologia, cum amphibiis regni Borussici. Methodo Linnaena disposita. Iohan, Jakob Kanter, Regiomonti. Ichthyologia, cum amphibiis regni Borussici
Wulff, J. C. (1765). Ichthyologia, cum amphibiis regni Borussici. Methodo Linnaena disposita. Iohan, Jakob Kanter, Regiomonti. Ichthyologia, cum amphibiis regni Borussici. Borussia [Prussa], Germany. i-xii + 1-60.
Referentiematrices en Ecotoopoppervlaktes Annex bij de Evaluatiemethodiek Schelde-estuarium Studie naar “Ecotoopoppervlaktes en intactness index”. [Reference matrices and Ecotope areas Annex to the Evaluation methodology Scheldt estuary Study on “Ecotope areas and intactness index”.
Maris, T., O. Beauchard, S. Van Damme, E. Van den Bergh, S. Wijnhoven & P. Meire. (2013). Referentiematrices en Ecotoopoppervlaktes Annex bij de Evaluatiemethodiek Schelde-estuarium Studie naar “Ecotoopoppervlaktes en intactness index”. [Reference matrices and Ecotope areas Annex to the Evaluation methodology Scheldt estuary Study on “Ecotope areas and intactness index”. Monitor Taskforce Publication Series, 2013-01. NIOZ: Yerseke. 35 pp.
Fish trawl survey: ICES North Sea International Bottom Trawl Survey for commercial fish species. ICES Database of trawl surveys (DATRAS). The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, Copenhagen. 2010.
van der Land, J.; Costello, M.J.; Zavodnik, D.; Santos, R.S.; Porteiro, F.M.; Bailly, N.; Eschmeyer, W.N.; Froese, R. (2001). Pisces, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 357-374
Scott, W.B.; Scott, M.G. (1988). Atlantic fishes of Canada. Canadian Bulletin of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. No. 219. 731 pp.
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Muller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France. 307 pp.
FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication
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Hayward, P.J. & J.S. Ryland (Eds.). (1990). The marine fauna of the British Isles and North-West Europe: 1. Introduction and protozoans to arthropods. Clarendon Press: Oxford, UK. 627 pp.
Global inventory of species categorized by known underwater sonifery
Looby, A.; Erbe, C.; Bravo, S.; Cox, K.; Davies, H. L.; Di Iorio, L.; Jézéquel, Y.; Juanes, F.; Martin, C. W.; Mooney, T. A.; Radford, C.; Reynolds, L. K.; Rice, A. N.; Riera, A.; Rountree, R.; Spriel, B.; Stanley, J.; Vela, S.; Parsons, M. J. G. (2023). Global inventory of species categorized by known underwater sonifery. Scientific Data. 10(1).
Distinguishing features: elongated body and belly edge smooth as compared with S. sprattus, up to 40 cm.
Herring (Clupea harengus)
Whitebait (Clupea alba, synonym of Clupea harengus harengus)
Foto taken during "Expedition Zeeleeuw" 16-20 April 2007. Locality: Belgian part of the North Sea.
Clupea harengus - juvenile Atlantic herring
Gridded abundance map of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus). This product was developed with DIVA (Data-Interpolating Variational Analysis). Data was provided by ICES (IBTS dataset). The map shows clearly the stock depletion of the last decades in the North Sea. Scale: log-transformed CPUE. Citation: European Marine Observation Data Network (EMODnet) Biology project (www.emodnet-biology.eu), funded by the European Commission’s Directorate - General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE). The mapped images, raster files and used parameters can be downloaded here.
Fish larvae collected during plankton surveys in the Saint John Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada. Specimen identification confirmed by Lou Van Guelpen (Atlantic Reference Centre, St. Andrews, N.B.)
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Baltic sea
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Scheldt estuary
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Oostende
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Westerschelde
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - British Isles
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - De Haan
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Grevelingen
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - IJsselmeer
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - North West Atlantic
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Oosterschelde
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Voordelta
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Wimereux
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Zeeschelde
Distribution for Clupea harengus membras Linnaeus, 1760 - Gulf of Riga
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - European waters (ERMS scope)
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Davis Strait
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Gulf of St. Lawrence
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Irish Exclusive economic Zone
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Canadian Exclusive Economic Zone [Arctic part]
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Polish Exclusive Economic Zone
Distribution for Clupea harengus membras Linnaeus, 1760 - North East Baltic Sea
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Gulf of Maine
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Hudson Strait
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - FAO fishing area 18
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - FAO fishing area 21
Distribution for Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758 - Hudson Bay
Taxon Description Body size for Taxon denoted by name 126417
Taxon Description Paraphyletic group for Taxon denoted by name 843664
Taxon Description Species exhibits underwater soniferous behaviour for Taxon denoted by name 126417
Taxon Description Nomenclature code for Taxon denoted by name 2
Specification Context: Unit cm
Specification Context: Type maximum
Specification Context: Locality (MRGID) 1920
Specification Context: Dimension length
Specification Context: Sex male/unsexed
Specification Context: Type common