Sardine

Sardines are small fish that are said to be called after Sardinia, an Italian island where they can be found in abundance. Sardines can be eaten raw, however, they are quite perishable. This is why they're usually seen in cans. The Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean seas are rich in sardines. They only eat plankton, thus they don't have the high levels of mercury seen in other fish.

Taxonomy of Sardine Fish

• Sardine fishes belong to the kingdom Animalia and subkingdom Bilateria.

• The phylum of sardine Chordata and subphylum is Vertebrata.

• The class of sardine fish is Teleostei and the superclass is Actinopterygii.

• Sardine fish order is Clupeiformes, superorder is Clupeomorpha and suborder is Clupeoidei.

• The family and subfamily of sardines are Clupeidae and Clupeinae respectively.

• There are 5 genera of sardine fishes which are as follows: Genus Dussumieria, Genus Escualosa, Genus Sardina, Genus Sardinella, Genus Sardinops.
  
  

General Characteristics of Sardine Fishes

• Sardines have a flat body covered in huge, silvery scales that reflect light.

• They feature a series of specialised scales called scutes that are jagged and point backwards in the centre of their belly.

• Sardines feed on plankton, which they filter from the water through their gills, and have extremely little or no teeth.

• The average length of sardine fish is less than 12 inches. Sardines are classified as more than 20 different fish species, hence their weight varies greatly. Some are only two or three ounces in weight, while others are closer to six or seven pounds.

• Sardines devour small animals called zooplankton and phytoplankton that live in the Earth's oceans. Plankton is made up of little eggs from larger fish species, as well as microscopic crustaceans and other organisms that can't swim against the currents.

• Sardine fish can spawn at a young age of one to two years. Between 10,000 and 40,000 eggs are accessible for fertilisation in females. Scientists used to believe that sardines only spawned once or twice per season, but new research suggests that it may be considerably more often.
  
  

Distribution and Habitat of Sardine Fish

• Sardines can be found in a variety of saltwater oceans, seas, and other bodies of water all around the world.

• These schools of fish can be found in the Atlantic Ocean and the waters off the coasts of California and Mexico. South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia are all home to them.

• Each species exact numbers are unknown. When determining whether or whether these organisms are overfished, numbers are expressed in metric tonnes. The population of Pacific Sardines is currently estimated to be above 27 metric tonnes.

• While that may seem like a lot, this fish's target weight is 150 metric tonnes. As a result, the Pacific Sardine is currently classified as overfished by the NOAA.
  
  

Predators and Prey of Sardine

• Sardine fishes are an important source of sustenance for many marine animals and birds. Ocean mammals that consume these fish include dolphins, seals, and blue whales. Penguins, terns, Brown Pelicans, and other seabirds enjoy scooping herrings from the water as food.

• Sardines have a number of predators, including humans. Our impact on these fish's habitats is minimal compared to other sea life because they only travel between 0 and 200 metres below the surface. They are, nonetheless, greatly sought for as a source of nutrition in Europe, Asia, and India. The global sardine population is under threat from overfishing and commercialisation.
  
  

Types of Sardines

There are five genera of sardine species. In this section let us look at a few of the best sardines.

• European Pilchard (Sardina Pilchardus)

• The European pilchard is a ray-finned fish species belonging to the monotypic genus Sardina. The species' juvenile is among the several fish that are commonly referred to like sardines.

• The European pilchard is a herring-like fish that is tiny to medium in size.

• The pelvic fins originate much later than the dorsal fin, and the anal fin's last two soft rays are larger than the rest.

• The upper body is green or olive in colour, with golden flanks and a silvery belly.

• The European pilchard can be found in the Atlantic Ocean's northeastern reaches, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. Its range includes Iceland, the southern half of Norway, and Sweden, as well as Senegal in West Africa.

• It is frequent in the western half of the Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic Sea, but uncommon in the eastern half and the Black Sea.

• It is a migratory, schooling fish that spends most of its time on the coast but can go up to 100 kilometres out to sea.

• It is generally in the depth range of 25 to 55 metres during the day, but it can get as deep as 100 metres. It's usually between 10 and 35 metres below the surface at night.
  
  

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• Rainbow Sardine (Dussumieria acuta)

• The rainbow sardine, also known as common sprat, dwarf round herring, rainbow herring, and sharp-nosed sprat, is a bony fish used in aquaculture and commercial fishing.

• The rainbow sardine's hue is iridescent blue with gleaming gold or brass line below it that fades swiftly after death. The tail's hind edge is broad and dark.

• The fish has more anal fin rays and a w-shaped pelvic scute with an isthmus that taper equally forward.

• There are 14 to 18 soft anal rays in total. The longest recorded length is 20 cm.

• The rainbow sardine is a marine and estuarine species that can be found in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Persian Gulf and possibly as far south as Somalia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The species has now established itself in the Mediterranean after migrating through the Suez Canal as a Lessepsian migrant.
  
  

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• Slender Rainbow Sardine (Dussumieria Elopsoides)

• The slender rainbow sardine is a tiny saltwater fish native to the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.

• They range in size from 8 to 18 cm.

• Silvery on the sides, bluish-grey on the back, and practically white on the bottom.

• The extended body of the thin rainbow sardine is complemented with a round belly and a sharp nose. The single dorsal fin is positioned slightly behind the midline of the body. The tail fin is forked severely. The scales are extremely fragile and easily removed. It lacks a lateral line and no scales on the head, much like other sardines.

• The slender rainbow sardine is distinguished from the rainbow sardine by the absence of tiny radiating striae on the posterior half of its scales. According to some evidence, the slender rainbow sardine has more vertebrae than the rainbow sardine.

• The slender rainbow sardine was once restricted to the tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, but now it can be found off the coasts of Taiwan and the Philippines, northern Australia, east Africa, Madagascar, and the Red Sea. The Suez Canal brought the slim rainbow sardine into the Mediterranean.

• While pelagic, the slim rainbow sardine swims in schools and is usually found near beaches. It eats zooplankton, which consists primarily of crustaceans and tiny fish. Spring is when the slim rainbow sardine spawns. Its eggs, and the larvae that emerge from them, drift aimlessly until they transform into free-swimming fish.

• The slender rainbow sardine, like other sardines, is fished both as a baitfish and for human consumption. Often, fishermen use a purse net to catch them close to shore and then release them in deeper water, where they attract larger fish.

• Some sardines are processed into fish meal, which is then utilised as a plant supplement or animal feed. Oil is extracted for a range of applications, including varnish and cooking oil.
  
  

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• Slender White Sardine (Escualosa Elongata)

• The slender white sardine belongs to the Clupeidae family of sardines, and it belongs to the genus Escualosa.

• It is a tropical fish that was spotted in a Bangkok Sunday market, despite the two specimens being collected off the Gulf of Thailand's eastern coast.

• Slender white sardines have been reported to swim to depths of up to 50 metres.

• The species longest known standard length is 6.7 cm.

• It differs from its sister species, the white sardine, in that it has a more slender body, which gives it its common name, as well as a silver band on its flank.
  
  

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• White Sardine (Escualosa thoracata)

• The white sardine is an Indo-Pacific tropical fish that can be found from Thailand to Indonesia and Australia. Deep herring and northern herring are two more common names for this species.

• This is an amphidromous species. It has been observed swimming at a depth of up to 50 metres.

• The species' largest known standard length is 10 cm.

• Its deeper body and larger silver band separate it from its sister species, the slender white sardine.

• Zooplankton and phytoplankton are the primary foods of white sardine.

• It is an economically important fish that may be eaten both fresh and dried.
  
  

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• Goldstripe Sardinella (Sardinella Gibbosa)

• The gold stripe sardinella is found in shallow tropical waters of the western Indo-Pacific, where it can be found at depths of up to 70 metres and is often found along coral reefs. It can reach a length of 17 cm and forms enormous groups.

• The body of a gold stripe sardinella is relatively slim, and the number of gill rakers is lower than typical.

• They feature a dark mark on the dorsal fin and little perforations on the back section of their scales.

• The Indo-West Pacific, the East African coast, and a span from Madagascar to Indonesia are all home to gold stripe sardinella.

• The gold stripe sardinella is one of the most common Sardinella species in the Indo-West Pacific, particularly along the coasts of Taiwan, Korea, and Australia.
  
  

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• Indian Oil Sardine (Sardinella Longiceps)

• The Indian oil sardine is a ray-finned fish that belongs to the genus Sardinella. It is one of India's two most valuable commercial fishes.

• The Indian oil sardine is a regionally restricted species of Sardinella that can only be found in the northern Indian Ocean. Phytoplankton and zooplankton are the primary foods of these fish.

• These Sardinella have a notably long and elongated body, almost subcylindrical in shape.

• Their pelvic fins have eight rays and have a somewhat rounded belly.

• They have a lot of gill rakers, and there is a faint golden patch behind the gill opening.

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• Round Sardinella (Sardinella Aurita)

• The round sardinella is a ray-finned fish found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to the genus Sardinella.

• The round sardinella has an extended body, a rounded belly, and a great number of fine gill rakers (up to 160).

• With a length of 23 to 28 cm, this is one of the largest Sardinella species.

• It has eight rays on its pelvic fin. On the top of its head, it bears frontoparietal stripes, a faint golden mid-lateral line, and a noticeable black patch on the gill cover's hind border.

• It is frequently caught with Sardinella longiceps, and the two are difficult to differentiate.

• The fish prefer shallower waters with a temperature of roughly 24 degrees Celsius. It can be found at depths of 350 metres. It is a schooling fish that eats phytoplankton and zooplankton, including copepods.

• It is a small pelagic species that can be found in tropical and subtropical areas of the western and eastern Atlantic Oceans, the Pacific Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea on rare occasions.

• In April, the gonads begin to develop and are fully mature one month later. From the end of June until the beginning of September, spawning regions' plankton are dense with eggs and larvae.
  
  

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Sardine Fisheries

• Encircling nets, particularly purse seines, are used to catch sardines. Encircling nets are modified in a variety of ways, such as with traps or fishing weirs.

• The latter are stake-enclosed, stationary enclosures into which sardine schools are steered as they swim along the coast.

• The fish are mostly taken at night when they come closer to the surface to feed on plankton. The fish are hauled to shore after being harvested and soaked in brine.

• Sardines are fished commercially for a variety of purposes, including bait, direct consumption, drying, salting, or smoking, and reduction into fish meal or oil.

• Sardines are mostly consumed by humans, but a fish meal is used as animal feed, and sardine oil is used in the production of paint, varnish, and linoleum.
  
  

Sardines as Food and Health Benefits

• Human beings consume sardines as food. 

• Fresh sardines are often grilled and fried known as fried sardines. 

• Some sardines are pickled or smoked known as baked sardines. 

• Most of the tinned sardines are preserved by using cans or tins. Sardines can be canned in a variety of ways. The fish are washed, their heads are removed, and they are smoked or cooked, either deep-frying or steam-cooking, before being dried in the cannery. After that, they're packaged in olive, sunflower, or soybean oil, water, or a tomato, chilli, or mustard sauce.

• Sprat or round herrings may be mistaken for canned sardines in supermarkets. The size of fish varies depending on the species.

• Sardines are usually packed tightly in a compact can that has been scored for easy opening, either with a pull tab like a beverage can or with a key attached to the bottom or side of the can. As a result, it has the advantage of being a portable, nonperishable, and self-contained food.

• Vitamins and minerals abound in sardines. A small amount of sardines once a day can offer 13% of vitamin B2, nearly one-quarter of niacin, and around 150% of the daily value of vitamin B12.

• All B vitamins aid in the proper functioning of the neurological system and are involved in energy metabolism or the conversion of food into energy.

• Sardines are also high in important minerals including phosphorus, calcium, and potassium, as well as trace minerals like iron and selenium.

• Sardines are also a natural supply of omega-3 fatty acids from the sea, which may help to prevent cardiovascular disease. Omega-3 fatty acid ingestion on a regular basis may lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease. These fatty acids can also help to control blood sugar. Vitamin D, calcium, vitamin B12, and protein are all abundant in them.

• Sardines are very low in pollutants, such as mercury, because they are low in the food chain compared to other fish often consumed by humans.
  
  

Conclusion

Sardines are a herring fish family that includes five genera and at least 21 different species. Sardines are little fish that can be as small as 85 grams and grow to be less than 30 cm long. However, some larger varieties of herring, such as the American Shad, can weigh up to seven pounds. These fish are known as pilchards in European fisheries. In actuality, they are defined as juvenile pilchards with a length of less than 15 to 30 cm in the United Kingdom and other European countries. South American Pilchard, Bali Sardinella, and Indian Oil Sardine are some of the other kinds. Silvery scales and a single tiny dorsal fin characterise these fish. They swim in big groups that can be miles long. They can be found in practically every part of the planet, including the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Mediterranean Sea, the Dead Sea, and the waters off the coasts of Morocco and other countries.