Where do Atlantic menhaden live?
Large schools of Atlantic menhaden can be found throughout the Bay from spring through autumn. They leave for deeper, warmer ocean waters in the winter, though juveniles sometimes overwinter. The Bay is an important nursery area for juvenile menhaden because of its rich supply of plankton. What do Atlantic menhaden eat? Atlantic menhaden are filter feeders. They swim rapidly with their mouths open, straining water through their gills and filtering out plankton. In turn, menhaden are the “breadbasket” of the Bay, a favorite prey of many predatory fish and other species, including: • Bluefish • Weakfish • Striped bass • Mackerels • Fish-eating seabirds and marine mammals How do Atlantic menhaden reproduce? In the Mid-Atlantic, menhaden spawn in shelf waters in the spring and fall. • Eggs hatch at sea, where the larvae spend about two months before being carried by currents to the Bay and other estuaries. • Larvae move into brackish waters and metamorphose into juveniles, growing rapidly
