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Yellowfin Menhaden

Brevoortia smithi

Classification

Family
Clupeidae

Menhaden, also known as mossbunker, bunker, and "the most important fish in the sea", are forage fish of the genera Brevoortia and Ethmidium, two genera of marine fish in the order Clupeiformes. Menhaden is a blend of poghaden (pogy for short) and an Algonquian word akin to Narragansett munnawhatteaûg, derived from munnohquohteau ("he fertilizes"), referring to their use of the fish as fertilizer. It is generally thought that Pilgrims were advised by Tisquantum (also known as Squanto) to plant menhaden with their crops.

Distribution

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Countries in the Picchu catalog
United States of America · 15