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Allis Shad

Allis Shad

The allis shad is a herring-family fish that once ran the Rhine in enormous numbers — several hundred thousand were caught annually in the Rhine system just 150 years ago.

Today it is considered functionally extinct in the Netherlands, wiped out by overfishing, pollution, and river barriers.

A LIFE-funded reintroduction programme began restocking larvae into the Rhine system in 2007, and natural reproduction has since been documented, making this a species in slow recovery rather than active fishery.

Scientific Name: Alosa alosa

Also known as Elft, Alosa alosa

Physical Characteristics:
  • Deep-bodied, laterally compressed, and silvery — unmistakably herring-like, with large circular scales forming a serrated keel along the belly.
  • Usually one dark blotch just behind the gill cover (twaite shad typically shows a row of spots along the flank); a notch in the upper jaw where the lower jaw fits.
  • A thin fatty membrane partially covers each eye; tail is deeply forked with large scales at the base.
  • Common length around 40 cm for males; females reach 70 cm and up to 4 kg — noticeably larger than the closely related twaite shad.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Native to the Netherlands but considered extinct here since the 1960s; historically present in the Rhine delta and its tributaries.
  • An anadromous species: adults spend most of their lives at sea in the North Sea and Northeast Atlantic, entering rivers only to spawn.
  • Reintroduction larvae have been released into the Rhine system since 2007; natural reproduction has been confirmed in the Rhine, Neckar, and Lippe sub-catchments, with some fish dispersing into adjacent catchments.
  • Juveniles move through estuaries in autumn, adapting to brackish water before heading to sea; adults return to spawn in the middle and upper reaches of larger rivers.

Key Locations

  • Rhine (Rijn) delta and lower Rhine — the historical core of the Dutch allis shad range and the entry point for any returning adults from the reintroduction programme.
  • Lippe sub-catchment — one of the Rhine tributaries where naturally reproduced fish have been identified in recent otolith studies.

Specific Spots

  • Spawning adults concentrate over shallow gravel banks (1–2 m deep) adjacent to deeper pools, with moderate current — these are the classic holding lies during the upstream migration.
  • Night hours are when spawning activity peaks; the characteristic surface splashing (known in French as "bull") gives away their presence at known gravel runs.
  • Estuaries and tidal reaches of the Rhine delta are where juveniles stage in autumn before moving to sea, and where returning adults first appear in spring.

Allis Shad FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

How do you catch Allis Shad?

The allis shad is not a legal recreational target in the Netherlands. The species is functionally extinct here and under active reintroduction; any encounter is incidental bycatch and the fish should be released immediately and carefully.

What do Allis Shad eat?

At sea, allis shad feed mainly on small zooplankton and tiny crustaceans, filtered through their dense gill rakers (90–130 on the first arch), this filter-feeding habit means they rarely take a hook baited for other species.

Where do Allis Shad live?

Native to the Netherlands but considered extinct here since the 1960s; historically present in the Rhine delta and its tributaries. An anadromous species: adults spend most of their lives at sea in the North Sea and Northeast Atlantic, entering rivers only to spawn.

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