Herring (Clupea; Ukrainian: oseledets’). Small (10–50 cm) silvery fish of the family Clupeidae, widely distributed in northern waters, including the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. There are five species of herring in Ukraine: Kerch herring, Black Sea herring, Caspian shad, Black Sea sprat, and common sprat. Herring have a great economic importance. They are eaten fresh, salted, smoked, or tinned. In the former USSR they were an important part of the diet, particularly for prisoners in transport.