Atlantic Herrings are also called ‘Silver Darlings’ by fishermen because of their distinct silver colour and because they were once an important source of protein to a person’s diet. They are very common in our coastal waters and are an important commercial food fish.

The Atlantic Herring is a small slim-looking fish with a length of around four to six centimetres. Although it is generally a silver colour, it still has a deep blue-green sheen to it and its back is darker than the rest of its body. Its lower jaw extends it upper jaw and it has large black eyes. This fish can also be recognised by its deep blue forked tail.

When Atlantic Herrings first hatch out of their eggs, they are tiny and tend to float on the surface of the water rather than swim. Within three months they start to look like miniature adults and join young fish such as sprats and pilchards to form larger shoals. These very young mixed shoal fish are often known as ‘white bait’. Atlantic Herrings develop into adulthood within two years and then they join older Atlantic Herrings in established shoals. These herring shoals can be very large and often swim close to the surface of the water making them an easy catch for fishermen.