Also called common shad, Atlantic shad, Connecticut River shad, North River shad, Potomac shad, white shad.

The American shad is an anadromous fish that ascends coastal rivers to spawn. It occurs natively east of the Appalachians along the Atlantic coast of North America from Sand Hill River, Labrador to the St. John's river, Florida. Like the Striped Bass, the American Shad was introduced in California in the 1870's at Pittsburg - between the Cal Delta and SF Bay. The population has exploded in to many millions, and are found in almost all the Delta tributary rivers, the Russian, Eel, Klamath, and into many rivers in Oregon.

The American shad is highly regarded by some as a game fish and its white, flaky flesh supports a considerable commercial fishery. The normal size of American shad is 2-8 pounds.