noun
- A small anadromous fish of the herring family found in Atlantic coastal waters, especially off eastern Canada and New England.
Usage: regional; also called alewife or river herring in other regions
Examples
- The gaspereau runs up the river each spring to spawn.
- Fishermen in Nova Scotia have long harvested gaspereau for food and bait.
- Gaspereau are an important food source for larger fish species in coastal ecosystems.
- The annual gaspereau migration is a sign of spring in Maritime communities.