American Shad are native to the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging from Newfoundland to Florida, and have been introduced to the Pacific coast. They are anadromous, migrating from the ocean into large rivers to spawn in the spring. American Shad prefer coastal marine waters but move into freshwater rivers with moderate to strong current and gravel bottoms during spawning. Their diet consists mainly of plankton, small crustaceans, and fish larvae. They commonly grow to 45–60 cm (18–24 in), with some individuals reaching larger sizes. Key identifiers include their silvery body, deeply forked tail, and a distinct dark spot behind the gill cover followed by a row of smaller spots. An interesting fact is that American Shad were historically one of the most important commercial fish species on the U.S. East Coast. Anglers often catch them during spawning runs using small spoons, darts, or colorful jigs drifted in current. Source: FishBase (https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Alosa-sapidissima.html)