Physical 

Atlantic menhaden grows 14 to 18 inches in length. It has a blue, bluish-green, or bluish-brown body and silvery sides, fins, and belly, which often have a yellowish sheen. A dark, round spot on the shoulder behind the gill is followed by smaller spots arranged roughly in horizontal rows. It has a projecting lower jaw and a deeply forked tail fin.

Image by Brian.gratwicke from Wikimedia

Habitat

This species is found in Atlantic coastal and estuarine waters from Nova Scotia to Florida. Menhaden swim in large schools just below the water’s surface.

Feeding 

Atlantic menhaden is a filter-feeder and consumes plankton.