The maximum body length is 35 cm, and the mass is 469 g [1] . Life expectancy up to 9 years [3] .
The body is high, compressed laterally. The head is large, also compressed laterally. The upper and lower profiles of the head are straight. The upper jaw extends beyond the vertical of the eye. The mouth is large with well-developed teeth on both jaws and the vomer. The eyes are large with fatty eyelids. Gill stamens are straight, short, moderately thick, pointed at the ends, rarely sitting. Their length does not exceed the length of the gill petals. On the first branchial arch 25–41 stamens. The dorsal fin is short with 12-15 soft rays, of which the first 3-4 are unbranched. In the anal fin there are 18-24 soft rays (the first 3-4 rays are non-branched) [3] [4] .
It lives throughout the Caspian Sea , the most numerous in the northern part of the sea. Avoids fresh water, occasionally found in the lower part of the Volga delta . It occurs at water temperatures from 3 ° C to 25 ° C [1] .
Flocking sea fish, leads a pelagic lifestyle . Makes seasonal migrations , moving to more southern areas for wintering. One of the most cold-loving species in the genus Alosa in the Caspian Sea. The first begins spring migration to the north from wintering places.
Predator. The basis of the diet is small fish and large crustaceans .
Matures for the first time at the age of 2-3 years. It spawns in the northern part of the sea from late April to June in the coastal area at a depth of 1–6 m. Portion spawning, fecundity is 44–163 thousand eggs. Eggs with a diameter of 1-1.5 mm, semi-pelagic, kept at the bottom [3] [4] .
It is an object of commercial fishing. catch is salted in a warm way. The fat content of pod meat is about 5.5%. This fish is caught in the spring during the course of spawning and spawning grounds. In the waters of Azerbaijan and Dagestan, fishing is carried out by seines, in the northern part of the Caspian Sea by fixed nets [3] .
