Pacific herring are distributed widely throughout the north Pacific, from the Beaufort Sea to Baha California in the east and from Siberia to the Korean Peninsula in the west. Their range also extends westward into the Russian Arctic, overlapping with that of the Atlantic herring. A pelagic, schooling fish, Pacific herring are migratory, and move closer to the coast during spawning. In Canada, they are fished commercially for food (including for their roe, a delicacy in Japan) and for bait.

Small and slender silver fish with an elongated body and a forked tail, Pacific herring closely resemble Atlantic herring. They have a bluish to olive-green coloured back, becoming iridescent silver on their sides and belly. Their body is covered with large scales. They can grow to about 30 centimetres, and live to approximately 15 years.