Alewife
Alosa pseudoharengus
Round sardinella
Sardinella aurita
About
The round sardinella is a slim, silvery schooling fish found in warm coastal waters, growing up to 36 cm long. It is one of the larger members of the sardine family Sardinella.
Also known as: black sprat, blacksprot, false sardine, fry-dry, gilt sardine, herring, sardinella, round sardinelle, round sardines, sardine, black sprat, pilchard, false sardine, spanish sardine, striped sardinella, round sardinella, gilt sardine, round sardinella, orangespot sardine, brazilian sardinella, spanish sardine
- Length
- 25 cm · max 36 cm
- Weight
- max 229 g
- Depth
- up to 350 m
How to tell it apart
It is often caught alongside the very similar Sardinella longiceps, and the two are easy to mix up. Check the gill cover: this species carries a distinctive black spot at its hind edge.
Appearance
Its body is long and roughly cylindrical, with a rounded belly. The back is bluish grey, sometimes greenish, while the sides are silvery with a faint golden line running along the flank. A black spot marks the back edge of the gill cover, and fine grooves line the top of the head.
Did you know?
This fish is a major catch for fisheries off West Africa, in the Mediterranean, and along the coasts of Venezuela and Brazil. In 1983 alone, catches of this species topped 1.9 million tonnes worldwide.
Log it in Into the Blue
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