This grouping includes herring, sardine, shad, mackerel and bluefish. Though the texture of these fish varies from the relative firmness of one or two species of mackerel to the unmistakably soft texture of the herring, most seem to lean towards the softer side.

The most common of these fish is the herring. It is used extensively in Norway and Denmark. This fish is eaten pickled, cured and, rarely, fresh. Herring roe is also popular sautéed. Anchovy is an oily fish which is often sold salted, but is quite good fresh when fried or baked.

Shad, with its characteristic gold color, is known for its roe. It also has a delicate fine-textured flesh. An extremely bony fish, it requires careful preparation. Mackerel is found in a dozen

species. As a group, mackerels are identified by their iridescent skin, with blue- green to gold shades and mottled lateral lines. The flesh is usually very rich and fine textured. Atlantic mackerel weigh under five pounds and the European Spanish mackerel is a small fatty fish. The American Spanish mackerel is larger and leaner than the European, usually weighing three to four pounds. Cero mackerel has a lighter flesh than most mackerel. Frigate mackerel has very dark flesh, almost the color of tuna. The king mackerel is the largest, weighing as much as 100 pounds.

Usually very bony, the fish in this category need careful handling. They become very strong in taste rapidly due to the high fat content. They must be cut and chilled immediately after being caught to avoid oxidation and an acid taste. There are also certain oily fish which produce histamines in their flesh which can cause allergic reactions if not handled properly.

In general, fish from this group hold their shape well when cooked. This allows for the use of a variety of cooking methods, such as broiling, sautéing, frying, pan-frying, steaming and poaching.