Editing Clupeidae (section)

==Description and biology==
Clupeids are mostly marine [[forage fish]], although a few species are found in fresh water. No species has scales on the head, and some are entirely scaleless. The [[lateral line]] is short or absent, and the teeth are unusually small where they are present at all. Clupeids typically feed on [[plankton]], and range from {{convert|2|to|75|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length.<ref name=FB>{{FishBase_family|family=Clupeidae|year=2023|month=July}}</ref>

Clupeids spawn huge numbers of eggs (up to 200,000 in some species) near the surface of the water. After hatching, the larvae live among the plankton until they develop a [[swim bladder]] and transform into adults. These eggs and fry are not protected or tended to by parents. The adults typically live in large [[Shoaling and schooling|shoal]]s, seeking protection from [[piscivorous]] predators such as [[birds]], [[sharks]] and other predatory fish, [[Odontocete|toothed whales]], marine mammals, and jellyfish. They also form [[bait ball]]s.<ref name=EoF>{{cite book |editor1=Paxton, J.R. |editor2=Eschmeyer, W.N. |author= Nelson, Gareth|year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes|publisher= Academic Press|location=San Diego|pages= 91–92|isbn= 0-12-547665-5}}</ref><ref name=FB/>

Commercially important species of the Clupeidae include the [[Atlantic herring|Atlantic and Baltic herrings]] (''Clupea harengus''), and the [[Pacific herring]] (''C. pallasii'').