Mills, T.J. (2004) Matrix of life history and habitat requirements for feather river fish species - American shad.
Sp-F3.2 task 2
| Species | Development state | Trait | Primary Data | Secondary Data |
| Alosa sapidissima | Egg | Oocyte diameter | 1.8 [Unfertilized egg] | 1.8 mm |
| Alosa sapidissima | Egg | Egg size after water-hardening | 2.5-3.8 [Not specifed] | 3.15 mm |
| Alosa sapidissima | Egg | Egg Buoyancy | Slightly heavier than water and are carried by the currents and gradually sink | Demersal |
| Alosa sapidissima | Egg | Egg adhesiveness | Initially adhesive and later become non-adhesive | Non-Adhesive |
| Alosa sapidissima | Egg | Incubation time | 4-6 [15-18°C], 6-8 [17°C], 8-12 [11-15°C] | 5.0 days |
| Alosa sapidissima | Egg | Temperature for incubation | 17 is considered optimal [The survival rate decreases at 24°C] | 17.0 °C |
| Alosa sapidissima | Larvae | Initial larval size | Either 9-10; 6-10 | 9.5 mm |
| Alosa sapidissima | Larvae | Larvae behaviour | Larvae are planktonic for about 4 weeks | Demersal |
| Alosa sapidissima | Larvae | Temperature during larval development | 17-25 for juveniles | 21.0 °C |
| Alosa sapidissima | Larvae | Full yolk-sac resorption | [About 4 to 7 days after hatching; 9-12 mm or 12.2 when yolk is absorbed] | 10.5 °C * day |
| Alosa sapidissima | Female | Age at sexual maturity | 4-5 [Female] | 4.5 year |
| Alosa sapidissima | Female | Absolute fecundity | From various sources, American shad produce 2-300 eggs [Also 116-468 and 98.6-225.6] | 151.0 thousand eggs |
| Alosa sapidissima | Male | Age at sexual maturity | 3-4 [Males] | 3.5 years |
| Alosa sapidissima | Spawning conditions | Spawning migration period | Up stream migrations in southern streams reportdly occur early in the spring and progressively later northward [the upstream migration of Amrican shad in the Sacramento river estuary reportdly takes about 3 months occuring in March, April and May). Migrate upstream in the spring [Take place when water is about 16.0-19.5°C | ['March', 'April', 'May', 'June'] |
| Alosa sapidissima | Spawning conditions | Homing | To their natal streams to spawn | Present |
| Alosa sapidissima | Spawning conditions | Spawning season | May or early June | ['May', 'June'] |
| Alosa sapidissima | Spawning conditions | Spawning temperature | Diffrente temperatures according to authors: 8-26; 12-17; 14-21; 17-24; 18.5, prefer 16.7-20.0 | 17.0 °C |
| Alosa sapidissima | Spawning conditions | Spawning water type | In the main channels of rivers, preferred moderate current for spawning, about 0.3-0.93 or 0.15-0.61 m/s | Flowing or turbulent water |
| Alosa sapidissima | Spawning conditions | Spawning depth | Near the surface: 0.9-12.2; or less than 3 meters | 6.55 m |
| Alosa sapidissima | Spawning conditions | Spawning substrate | Usually spawn over sand and gravel | Lithophils |
| Alosa sapidissima | Spawning conditions | Spawning site preparation | Broadcast their eggs in the water | Open water/substratum scatter |
| Alosa sapidissima | Spawning conditions | Nycthemeral period of oviposition | Most spawning occurs after dark, taking place between 2100 and 0700 hours, peaking at 2300-2400 | Night |
| Alosa sapidissima | Spawning conditions | Parity | Iteroparous, spawn annualy | Iteroparous |