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Blue sardine (Spratelloides robustus) — Clupeidae

Blue sardine

Spratelloides robustus
Family: Clupeidae
LC · Least Concern

The Blue sardine (Spratelloides robustus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Clupeidae that grows up to 12 cm.

Length
12 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0.0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The blue sardine is a small herring relative from the southwest Pacific, off southern Australia. The species grows to about 12 cm and has a slender, silvery body with a blue-green back and a shiny lateral stripe. It schools in large, dense numbers in shallow coastal water and filters small zooplankton from the water. It is an important forage and bait fish for larger predators and the fishery. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Blue sardine?

The Blue sardine has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Blue sardine live?

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

How big does the Blue sardine get?

The Blue sardine grows to a maximum of about 12 cm.

Is the Blue sardine dangerous to humans?

No, the Blue sardine is harmless to humans.

Is the Blue sardine edible?

Yes, the Blue sardine is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Blauwe sardien verified
English name
Blue sardine verified
Scientific name
Spratelloides robustus
Family
Clupeidae
Other names
Blue sprat; Bluebait; Fringe-scale round herring verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
12.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
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
Netvisserij sourced
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 Spratelloides

More from the family Clupeidae

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