Forage fish, also called
prey fish or
bait fish, are small
pelagic fish which are preyed on by larger predators for food. Predators include other larger fish,
seabirds and
marine mammals. Typical ocean forage fish feed near the base of the food chain on
plankton, often by
filter feeding. They include particularly fishes of the family
Clupeidae (
herrings,
sardines,
shad,
hilsa,
menhaden,
anchovies and
sprats), but also other small fish, including
halfbeaks,
smelt such as
capelin, and the
goldband fusiliers pictured on the right.