Bang

Body elongate, usually subcylindrical, but some times a little compressed; belly rather rounded, but scutes apparent. Lower gillrakers fine and numerous, more than 80 (162 to 248 in West African specimens of 23 to 28 cm standard length); anterior gillrakers on lower limbs of second and third gill arches lying more or less flat (strongly curled in S. brasiliensis ). The pelvic finray count f i 8 distinguishes S. aurita from all other species of Sardinella, also Harengula, Opisthonema, Herklotsichthys and Amblygaster, that occur with it. Resembles Clupea, but has two fleshy outgrowths along outer margin of gill opening (smooth in Clupea) and numerous fine fronto-parietal striae on top of head. Flanks silvery, with a faint golden midlateral line, preceded by a fint golden spot behind gill opening; a distinct black spot at hind border of gill cover (absence of silver pigment).

Eastern Atlantic (Mediterranean, but rare in Black Sea; African coasts from Gibraltar southward to Saldanha Bay, South Africa (see also under remarks); western Atlantic (Cape Cod to Argentina).

To 30 cm standard length, usually to 25 cm.

Coastal,pelagic,preferring clear saline water with a minimum temperature below 24° C; from inshore and near surface to edge of shelf and down to 350 m (West Africa), or perhaps even deeper;schooling and strongly migratory, often rising to surface at night and dispersing.Feeds mainly zooplankton, especially copepods, but some phytoplankton (especially by juveniles). Breeds perhaps at all times of the year (e.g. off West Africa), but with distinct peaks, e.g. mid-June - end of September, i.e. the summer months, in the Mediterranean and perhaps off North America; from about May off Senegal (but again in October-November) through to July-August off Mauritania around July or August off Ivory Coast and Ghana; but apparently September to February, i.e. the winter months, in the Gulf of Mexico (Houde & Fore, 1973), January-February off Venezuela (Simpson, 1969), and, if it spawns with S. brasiliensis, then September to March off Brazil. The breeding pattern is extremely complex, with two principal spawning periods in areas (linked with upwelling regimes off West Africa). The juveniles tend to stay in nursery areas (main nurseries off Mauritania and Senegal/Gambia for the West African region), but on maturity rejoin adult stocks in the colder offshore waters.

Major fisheries off West Africa, in Mediterran and off Venezuela and Brazil, although catches not always distinguished from those of other Sardinella species (especially of S. brasiliensis western Atlantic). The total catch for 1983 was 702 775 t, being 15 209 t for the Mediterrranean (mixed with S. maderensis), 401 039 t for West Africa (mixed with S. maderensis ) and 286 527 t for the western Atlantic the S. brasiliensis ).The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 480 508 t. The countries with the largest catches were Russian Federation (109 445 t), Senegal (93 512 t) and Ghana (57 170 t).

Diagnosis: Body elongate, usually subcylindrical, but sometimes a little compressed; belly rather rounded, but with a distinct keel of scutes; lower gillrakers fine and numerous, more than 80; anterior gillrakers on lower limbs of second and third gill arches lying more or less flat (Ref. 188, 2945, 81269, 81631). Flanks silvery, with a faint golden midlateral line, preceded by a faint golden spot behind gill opening; a distinct black spot at hind border of gill cover (Ref. 188). The pelvic finray count of 1 unbranched and 8 branched rays distinguishes Sardinella aurita from all other species of Sardinella, also Harengula, Opisthonema, Herklotsichthys and Amblygaster, that occur with it (Ref. 188). It resembles Clupea, but has two fleshy outgrowths along outer margin of gill opening and numerous fine fronto-parietal striae on top of head (Ref. 188).Description: Body elongate, usually subcylindrical, but sometimes a little compressed; belly rather rounded, but with a distinct keel of scutes (Ref. 188, 2849, 2945, 6683, 81269, 81631). Eye moderate, more than 3 times in head length; mouth terminal (Ref. 2945). Lower gillrakers fine and numerous, more than 80, increasing to over 200 with growth; the lower limb of first gill arch with mostly 130-248 gillrakers; anterior gillrakers on lower limbs of second and third gill arches lying more or less flat (Ref. 188, 2945, 3259, 81269, 81631). Dorsal and anal fins short; dorsal fin with 3-4 unbranched and 14-16 branched rays, its origin a little before midpoint of body; anal fin with 3 unbranched and 13-15 rays, its origin well behind dorsal fin base; pectoral fins with 1 unbranched and 14-16 branched rays; pelvic fins with 1 unbranched and 8 branched rays; caudal fin forked (Ref. 2849, 2945, 3015, 3259, 81269, 81631, 86940). Scales cycloid: 42-50 scales in a longitudinal series to caudal-fin base; 11-15 scales transversely; 14-16 predorsal scales (Ref. 2849, 3015, 3259, 81269, 81631, 86940). Belly with a low keel of scutes: 14-20 pre-pelvic and 12-17 post-pelvic mid-ventral scutes (Ref. 2849, 3259, 81269, 81631, 86940).Colouration: Black bluish gray, sometimes greenish; sides silvery to brassy; without spots or streaks (Ref. 6683, 7251). A dark spot on hind border of operculum with a gold spot behind it, but no spots along flanks; dorsal fin pale to deep yellow, upper margin dusky, anterior finrays black, but no black spot at dorsal fin origin; pectoral fins pale yellow with dark speckling; caudal fin faint yellow near base, remainder dusky, tips very dark or black (Ref. 2945, 3259). In alcohol-preserved specimens flanks silvery, with a faint golden midlateral band; a distinct black spot on hind margin of operculum (Ref. 188, 2849, 81269, 81631).

The breeding pattern is extremely complex, with two principal spawning periods in some areas (linked with upwelling regimes off west Africa).

Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17 - 20; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 16 - 18; Vertebrae: 47 - 49

A coastal, pelagic, species preferring clear saline waters, usually with maximum temperatures below 24°C (Ref. 27121). Found inshore and near surface to edge of shelf and down to 350m, or perhaps even deeper; schooling and strongly migratory, often rising to surface at night and dispersing (Ref. 188, 6683). It is a cold water species, temperatures between 18-25°C, approaching the coast and shoaling near the surface in the period of upwelling, but retreating below the thermocline in the hot season, down to depths of 200 to 300m (Ref. 2945, 3259). It feeds mainly on zooplankton, especially copepods and larvae of mysids, but also some phytoplankton, especially by juveniles (Ref. 188, 27121, 86940).

A coastal, pelagic, species preferring clear saline waters, usually with maximum temperatures below 24°C (Ref. 27121). Found inshore and near surface to edge of shelf and down to 350m, or perhaps even deeper; schooling and strongly migratory, often rising to surface at night and dispersing (Ref. 188, 6683). It is a cold water species, temperatures between 18-25°C, approaching the coast and shoaling near the surface in the period of upwelling, but retreating below the thermocline in the hot season, down to depths of 200 to 300m (Ref. 2945, 3259). It feeds mainly on zooplankton, especially copepods and larvae of mysids, but also some phytoplankton, especially by juveniles (Ref. 188, 27121, 86940). It breeds perhaps at all times of the year, but with distinct peaks; the breeding pattern is extremely complex, with two principal spawning periods in some areas (Ref. 188). There is no spawning in Black Sea (Ref. 6683). The juveniles tend to stay in nursery areas, but on maturity rejoin adult stocks in the colder offshore waters (Ref. 188). Trematode found in intestinal tract (Ref. 37032).

fisheries: highly commercial; bait: usually; price category: medium; price reliability: reliable: based on ex-vessel price for this species

The round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Sardinella found in both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

S. aurita went through a large boom in catch population around 1990. However, its numbers have been very stable through the last several years. S. aurita inhabits warm waters. It is a small, pelagic species that lives in tropical and subtropical waters of the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Mediterranean, and occasionally, the Black Sea. The gonads start to develop in April and are fully mature one month later. Plankton in spawning regions are full of eggs and larvae from the end of June into September.

Western Atlantic: Cape Cod, USA to Argentina. Bahamas, Antilles, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coast

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