Herring, Latin for anchovy (Clupea harengus). It is a fish that lives in the northern seas. They live from the English Channel to the Arctic Ocean. It is a cold water fish. Average size 30 cm long, belly and sides silver, back bluish. It is very similar to shad, sprat and sardine. It differs from sardines due to its rough gill covers and from sprats due to the difference in its dorsal and ventral fins.
Thousands of herrings gather together and lay their eggs among the algae on the shore. One female herring lays about 60 thousand eggs. Fish sticking to stones and algae become a thick layer of 1 cm. Fresh hatchlings are preyed upon by large fish and jellyfish. Its lifespan is around 18 years. They form the largest school of fish in the world. About 300 million fish can travel in flocks. It is a commercially important fish. Its nutritional value is 3 times more than salmon. It is consumed fresh, canned and smoked. The countries of England, Netherlands, Ireland, Norway and Germany have made herring fishing an art.