Herrings are silvery, flat-sided fishes. The herrings have a ridge on the middle of the belly with sharp, pointed scales. They have no lateral line and no scales on the head. They resemble members of the mooneye family but differ in having the dorsal fin far forward of the anal fin. A small, triangular projection, the axillary process, is present above the base of the pelvic fin.

Alabama shad--Alosa alabamae
skipjack herring--Alosa chrysochloris
alewife--Alosa pseudoharengus [nonnative]
gizzard shad--Dorosoma cepedianum
threadfin shad--Dorosoma petenense [nonnative]