Home · Clupeidae · Fimbriated sardine
Fimbriated sardine (Sardinella fimbriata) — Clupeidae

Fimbriated sardine

Sardinella fimbriata
Family: Clupeidae
LC · Least Concern

The Fimbriated sardine (Sardinella fimbriata) is a brackish-water fish of the family Clupeidae that grows up to 19 cm.

Length
19 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0.0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The fringescale sardinella is a small herring relative from the Indo-West Pacific, ranging from Kuwait and southern India through the Bay of Bengal to the Philippines. The species grows to about 19 cm and has a laterally compressed, silvery body with a forked tail. It forms schools in coastal and brackish water to about 50 metres depth and feeds on zooplankton. It is a commonly caught food fish sold fresh, salted or as fish balls. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Fimbriated sardine?

The Fimbriated sardine has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Fimbriated sardine live?

The Fimbriated sardine lives in brackish water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Fimbriated sardine get?

The Fimbriated sardine grows to a maximum of about 19 cm. On average the species is around 11 cm.

Is the Fimbriated sardine dangerous to humans?

No, the Fimbriated sardine is harmless to humans.

Is the Fimbriated sardine edible?

Yes, the Fimbriated sardine is commonly eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Franjeschub-sardinella verified
English name
Fimbriated sardine verified
Scientific name
Sardinella fimbriata
Family
Clupeidae
Other names
Fringe scale sardine; Fringescale sardine; Fringe-Scale sardine verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
19.0 verified
Average length (cm)
11.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
50.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Sportvissen met kunstaas of (dood/levend) aasvis door te trollen, te werpen of drijvend te vissen in open water. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Sardinella

More from the family Clupeidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →