Caspian shad
Alosa caspia (Eichwald, 1838)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
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.
Wikipedia contributors, Alosa caspia; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:57:01.868742+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Alosa caspia (Eichwald, 1838)
- Name authority
- (Eichwald, 1838)
- Common name
- Caspian shad
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Clupeiformes
- Family
- Alosidae
- Genus
- Alosa
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderClupeiformes
- suborderClupeoidei Bleeker, 1859
- familyAlosidae Svetovidov, 1952
- genusAlosa Linck, 1790
- speciesAlosa caspia (Eichwald, 1838)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Alosa. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Black Sea shadAlosa maeotica (Grimm, 1901) | AlosidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| blueback herringAlosa aestivalis (Mitchill, 1814) | AlosidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alosa agone (Scopoli, 1786) | AlosidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| allis shadAlosa alosa (Linnaeus, 1758) | AlosidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alosa braschnikowi (Borodin, 1904) | AlosidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| skipjack herringAlosa chrysochloris (Rafinesque, 1820) | AlosidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alosa curensis (Suvorov, 1907) | AlosidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| shadAlosa fallax (Lacepède, 1803) | AlosidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| ale-wifeAlosa pseudoharengus (Wilson, 1811) | AlosidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alosa sphaerocephala (Berg, 1913) | AlosidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alosa suworowi (Berg, 1913) | AlosidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alosa vistonica Economidis & Sinis, 1986 | AlosidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Alosa alosa bulgarica Drensky, 1934 Drensky, 1934 | synonym |
| Alosa caspia knipowitschi (Iljin, 1927) (Iljin, 1927) | synonym |
| Caspialosa caspia kaidakensis Kazancheev, 1936 Kazancheev, 1936 | synonym |
| Caspialosa caspia persica Iljin, 1927 Iljin, 1927 | synonym |
| Caspialosa caspia salina Svetovidov, 1936 Svetovidov, 1936 | synonym |
| Alosa caspia caspia (Eichwald, 1838) (Eichwald, 1838) | synonym |
| Caspialosa caspia knipowitschi (Iljin, 1927) (Iljin, 1927) | synonym |
| Caspialosa caspia aestuarina Berg, 1932 Berg, 1932 | synonym |
| Caspialosa caspia (Eichwald, 1838) (Eichwald, 1838) | synonym |
| Clupea caspia Eichwald, 1838 Eichwald, 1838 | synonym |
| Alosa caspia persica (Iljin, 1927) (Iljin, 1927) | synonym |
| Caspialosa knipowitschi Iljin, 1927 Iljin, 1927 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=126414 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:C5LW. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.