Ilisha elongata explained

The elongate ilisha (Ilisha elongata), also known as the Chinese herring (or simply) or slender shad (although not a true herring or shad), is a species of longfin herring native to the coastal waters and estuaries of North Indian Ocean and Northwest Pacific. It is a relatively large species, up to 45- in total length. It is an important fishery species.^[1]

Life history

In the northern part of its range, Ilisha elongata matures at age of 2 years and has a lifespan of about 6 years; in the warmer parts of its range, it matures under age 1 year and has a lifespan of about 3 years. It can spawn several batches of eggs.^[2]

Fisheries and use

The species is commercially fished. Based on the FAO fishery statistics, the annual catches ranged between 80,400 and 98,700 tonnes in 2000–2009, all of them from the Northwest Pacific (FAO Fishing Area 61) and almost all of them caught by China.^[3] The meat is tasty but has many bones.

Notes and References

1. Book: Whitehead, Peter J.P. . FAO species catalogue. Vol. 7. Clupeoid fishes of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the herrings, sardines, pilchards, sprats, anchovies and wolfherrings. Part 1 – Chirocentridae, Clupeidae and Pristigasteridae . 1985 . FAO . Rome . FAO Fisheries Synopsis . 125/7/1 . 978-92-5-102340-2. 265–266 .
2. Zhang . J. . Takita . T. . Zhang . C. . Reproductive biology of Ilisha elongata (Teleostei: Pristigasteridae) in Ariake Sound, Japan: Implications for estuarine fish conservation in Asia . 10.1016/j.ecss.2008.10.013 . . 81 . 1 . 105–113. 2009 . 2009ECSS...81..105Z .
3. Book: FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) . FAO. [ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/CDrom/CD_yearbook_2009/root/capture/yearbook_capture.pdf Yearbook of fishery and aquaculture statistics 2009. Capture production ]. Rome. 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20170519070831/ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/CDrom/CD_yearbook_2009/root/capture/yearbook_capture.pdf. dead. 2017-05-19. 91–92.