Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792)
European pilchard
photo by De Sanctis, A.

Family:  Alosidae (Shads and Sardines)
Max. size:  27.5 cm SL (male/unsexed); max. reported age: 15 years
Environment:  pelagic-neritic; freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 10 - 100 m, oceanodromous
Distribution:  Northeast Atlantic: Iceland (rare) and North Sea, southward to Bay de GorĂ©e, Senegal. Mediterranean (common in the western part and in Adriatic Sea, rare in the eastern part), Sea of Marmara and Black Sea.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-21; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 12-23. Body sub-cylindrical, belly rather rounded (but more compressed in juveniles). Hind margin of gill opening smoothly rounded (without fleshy outgrowths) ; 3 to 5 distinct body striae radiating downward on lower part of operculum; lower gill rakers not becoming shorter at angle of first gill arch, the upper series not overlapping the lower. Last 2 anal fin rays enlarged.
Biology:  Littoral species (Ref. 6808). Form schools, usually at depths of 25 to 55 or even 100 m by day, rising to 10 to 35 m at night. Feed mainly on planktonic crustaceans, also on larger organisms. Spawn in batches (Ref. 51846), in the open sea or near the coast, producing 50,000-60,000 eggs with a mean diameter of 1.5 mm (Ref. 35388). Marketed fresh, frozen or canned. Also utilized dried or salted and smoked; can be pan-fried, broiled and microwaved (Ref. 9988).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 20 May 2013 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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