Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Clupeiformes (Herrings) >
Clupeidae (Herrings, shads, sardines, menhadens) > Dorosomatinae
Etymology: Sardinella: Latin and Greek, sarda = sardine; name related to the island of Sardinia; diminutive (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; pelagic-neritic; depth range 1 - 60 m (Ref. 30573). Tropical, preferred ?; 7°N - 14°S, 38°E - 49°E (Ref. 188)
Western Indian Ocean: Somalia (Ref. 30573), Kenya, and Tanzania.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 13.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 188)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 0;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 13-21;
Anal
spines: 0;
Anal
soft rays: 12 - 23. Distinguished from all other clupeids along the East African coast by its pelvic fin ray count of i 8. Very closely resembles S. longiceps, but its head shorter and lower gill rakers fewer. A faint golden spot behind gill opening, followed by a faint golden mid-lateral line; a distinct black spot at hind border of gill cover (absence of silver pigment).
Forms schools in coastal waters. Feeds presumably mainly on phytoplankton like S. longiceps and its breeding biology is perhaps similar to that species too. Apparently not abundant, occurring mostly during the northeast monsoon period (November-January).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Breeding biology is perhaps similar to S. longiceps.
Whitehead, P.J.P., 1985. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 7. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeioidei). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the herrings, sardines, pilchards, sprats, shads, anchovies and wolf-herrings. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(7/1):1-303. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 188)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
More information
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources