Alosa caspia

Alosa caspia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Clupeiformes
Family: Alosidae
Genus: Alosa
Species:
A. caspia
Binomial name
Alosa caspia
(Eichwald, 1838)

Alosa caspia is a species of alosid fish, classified as one of the shad species (genus Alosa) endemic to the Caspian Sea basin.

FishBase treats separately three subspecies from the Caspian:

  • Caspian shad, Alosa caspia caspia (Eichwald, 1838)
  • Enzeli shad, Alosa caspia knipowitschi (Iljin, 1927)
  • Astrabad shad, Alosa caspia persica (Iljin, 1927)

Previously, the taxonomic circumscription and geographic range of A. caspia were broader, encompassing the Sea of Azov and Black Sea basins. At one point, up to ten subspecies were recognised; these included forms now classified as Alosa tanaica (and its synonyms) and even the Balkan freshwater endemics Alosa macedonica and Alosa vistonica.