The Clupeiformes order is the only fish order comprising the Clupeomorpha superorder. Clupeiformes are the inhabitants of the sea and fresh water.
(“The Herring Net”. 1885. Winslow Homer)
These pelagic fish feed mainly on plankton. The order comprises 7 families and 405 species, many of which have commercial value.
In the Adriatic Sea, there are 5 species of the Clupeiformes order, representatives of 2 families, including Clupeidae and Engraulidae.