It features a blue-green to gray back that abruptly transitions to silvery-white sides and a white belly. Some individuals exhibit a golden-green or blue reflection.
It has a prominent, protruding lower jaw that extends beyond the upper jaw, and unlike some similar species, it possesses teeth on its tongue and both jaws.
The belly has a distinct "keel" of modified, saw-toothed scales called scutes.
Alosa chrysochloris , commonly known as the or Skipjack Shad , is a migratory North American fish species belonging to the herring family, Clupeidae. Renowned for its habit of leaping out of the water while feeding, it is often nicknamed the "Tennessee Tarpon" or "Blue Herring". It serves a vital ecological role as the primary host for the larvae of several economically and ecologically valuable freshwater mussels. Physical Description