forage fish
Small schooling swimmers
Forage fish are small schooling species that serve as prey for larger predators—fish like herring, anchovies, sardines, and menhaden.
The term comes from ecology and fisheries management, emphasizing their role in the food chain rather than their value as a direct catch: Forage fish support populations of tuna, seabirds, and marine mammals.
They're sometimes called baitfish.
- baitfishSmall prey fish for angling
- small fryChildren or insignificant people
- herringSmall silvery Atlantic fish
- anchovySmall, salty forage fish
- sardineSmall herring-family fish
minnow · krill · prey · capelin · mackerel · filter feeder · pilchard · menhaden · sprat · migratory · pelican · sea birds · spawn · smelt · food chain · swarm · whale · oily
forage fishapex predator
Unpreyed-upon dominant hunter
predator fish · predatory fish · game fish · tuna · shark
forage fishgame fish
Species sought by anglers
sport fish · trophy fish · food fish · marlin · sailfish
forage fishapex predator
Unpreyed-upon dominant hunter
shark · orca · toothed whale · sea lion · seal
fish, fishing, forage, fisherman, fishes, fished, fishermen, foraging, fishery