Alewife

Alewife
(𝑨𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒂 𝒑𝒔𝒆𝒖𝒅𝒐𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒔)
Conservation Status: Species of Concern in Maine

Photo Credit:  Ryan Hagerty/USFWS

Facts:  The alewife is an anadromous fish, meaning they spend the majority of their life at sea, only traveling back to fresh water to spawn. Females can produce anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 eggs; however, only a few survive to the juvenile stage. Every May and June, alewives - a classic New England shad - can be found traveling up rivers to the ponds and lakes of Maine. Head out on the trail and see if you can spot them on their yearly runs! 

While you may not see these fish, they are very important! If you enjoy fishing for striped bass in Maine, you are a beneficiary of these little guys, as they are an important food source for stripers, as well as for the large and smallmouth bass, brown trout, salmonids, cod and haddock. They are also a part of various birds’ diets, including the osprey, eagle, great blue herring, loon and many others. 

Something you can do:  The once thriving populations have plummeted over the last two centuries due to dams, overfishing and pollution. However, many organizations are working together to remove barriers to this species and promote healthy population numbers. Interested in helping? Check out some of Maine’s local environmental organizations that may need help counting alewife runs every year.  

Keep an eye out for an upcoming post on this fish’s connections to the shadbush plant! 

Sources:  https://www.fws.gov/gomcp/pdfs/alewife%20fact%20sheet.pdf, https://www.maine.gov/dmr/science-research/searun/alewife.html