Cod Spawning Protection Area - New Hampshire Fish and Game ...

Flounder and Herring IdentificationA few features help distinguish the flounder caught recreationally alongNew Hampshire’s coast that have size regulations: Orientation of theeyes (right- or left-eyed); mouth size; and shape of the lateral lineor tail. Recreational saltwater anglers in NH most commonlycatch winter flounder, followed by yellowtail, summer flounderand American plaice. While not often caught, Atlantic halibutare the largest flounder found in the Gulf of Maine.Yellowtail Flounder(13" minimum length)Archedlateral line• Eyes on right side• Small mouthWinter Flounder(12" minimum length)• Eyes on right side• Small mouth• Scales between eyesSummer Flounder(15" minimum length)• Eyes on left side• Large mouth• Sharp teethArchedlateral lineAmerican Plaice(14" minimum length)• Eyes on right side• Large mouthAtlantic Halibut(41" minimum length)• Largest flatfish• Eyes on right side• Tail concaveHerring of New HampshireA variety of herring frequent N.H. coastal and estuarine watersand can be confusing to identify. River herring (alewife andblueback herring) and American shad are generally seen duringspring spawning runs. Menhaden and Atlantic herring mayappear in our estuaries during coastal migration in the summeror early fall.Teeth on roofof mouthDorsal fin atmidlengthNarrowbodyEye diameter greaterthan snout lengthNo teeth onroof of mouthEye diameter lessthan snout lengthNo teeth onroof of mouthDorsal fin forwardof midlengthAlewifeDorsal fin forwardof midlengthBlueback herringDeepbodyLarge mouthUpper jawclose to rearedge of eyeScaleless head =1⁄3 of body lengthAtlantic herringAmerican shadMay have a lineof spotsAtlantic menhadenLargest in theherring familySeries of random,smaller dark spotsHerring illustrations: ©Victor Young: Atlantic herring, Alewife, American shad;©USFWS: Blueback herring; ©NOAA: Atlantic menhaden10 2012 New Hampshire Saltwater Fishing Digest