What is a young herring?

A young herring, or brit, is a juvenile herring fish. Herrings are classified as brits from the time they're 6 months old until they reach maturity at 3 years of age. Brits are numerous in inshore waters along the coast of Maine in the spring and summer.

There are nearly 200 different species of fish in the herring family. All herring species are silver with a single dorsal fin and a protruding lower jaw. The body of a herring is flattened with a forked tail. The compressed body helps to camouflage it from the predators below, and the silver scales help to distort light in the open waters of the ocean.