1916 (North African shad) Alosa alosa (Linnaeus, 1758) (allis shad) Alosa fallax (Lacépède, 1803) (twait shad) Alosa killarnensis Regan, 1916 (Killarney shad) Caspian Sea, Black Sea, the Balkans Alosa braschnikowi (Borodin, 1904) (Caspian marine shad) Alosa caspia (Eichwald, 1838) A. c. caspia (Eichwald, 1838) (Caspian shad) A. c. knipowitschi (Iljin, 1927) (Enzeli shad) A. c. persica (Iljin, 1927) (Astrabad shad) Alosa curensis (Suvorov, 1907) (Kura shad) Alosa immaculata E. T. Bennett, 1835 (Pontic shad) Alosa kessleri (Grimm, 1887) (Caspian anadromous shad) Alosa macedonica (Vinciguerra, 1921) (Macedonia shad) Alosa maeotica (Grimm, 1901) (Black Sea shad) Alosa saposchnikowii (Grimm, 1887) (Saposhnikovi shad) Alosa sphaerocephala (L. S. Berg, 1913) (Agrakhan shad) Alosa tanaica (Grimm, 1901) (Azov shad) Alosa vistonica Economidis and Sinis, 1986 (Thracian shad) Alosa volgensis (L. S. Berg, 1913) (Volga shad) Recreational fishing Commercial fishing Management Shad populations have been in decline for years due to spawning areas blocked by dams, habitat destruction, pollution, and overfishing. Management of shad has called for more conservative regulations, and policies to help the species have lower fishing mortality. Political significance Shad serve a peculiar symbolic role in Virginia state politics. On the year of every gubernatorial election, would-be candidates, lobbyists, campaign workers, and reporters gather in the town of Wakefield, Virginia, for shad planking. American shad served as the focal point of John McPhee's book The Founding Fish. Culinary use The roe, or more properly the entire engorged uterus of the American shad—filled with ripening eggs, sautéed in clarified butter and garnished with parsley and a slice of lemon—is considered a great delicacy, and commands high prices when available. See also The Shad Foundation References External links Tastes of the Region: Shad An article celebrating shad's cultural importance to the Hudson Valley Lambertville NJ Shad Festival Science Cheerleader - Shad: Our Pollution vs. Their Resolution. Commercial fish Extant Eocene first appearances Marine fish genera Ray-finned fish genera