• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

• Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

• Ray-finned Fishes (Class Actinopterygii)

• Herrings (Order Clupeiformes)

​

​Order Clupeiformes is a group of ray-finned fishes that includes the herrings, sardines, anchovies, shads, menhadens, and their relatives. Found in marine, brackish, and freshwater environments worldwide, clupeiform fishes are typically small to medium-sized, streamlined, and highly social, often forming enormous schools containing thousands or even millions of individuals. Most species feed on plankton and other microscopic organisms by filtering food from the water, making them a critical link between primary producers and larger predators.