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MBSS Fish Information
GIZZARD SHAD
Dorosoma cepedianum

The Gizzard shad is a member of the Herring family (Clupeidae). Attempts have been made to stock this species as a forage base for game fish but they are only small enough to be taken by predators for a short time due to their rapid growth rate.

The map below shows presence (green circles) of this species in the 1995-2019 MBSS dataset.
Illustration by Dave Neely

Distribution of Gizzard shad in Maryland (MBSS data):

The MBSS has collected the following fishes in the family Clupeidae:

Common Name Genus & species
Blueback herring Alosa aestivalis
Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum
Hickory shad Alosa mediocris