| Clupeidae (Herrings, shads, sardines, menhadens), subfamily: Dorosomatinae |
| 30 cm SL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 927.0 g |
|
pelagic-neritic; depth range 0 - 80 m, oceanodromous |
| Atlantic Ocean: eastern Atlantic Ocean from Gibraltar southward to Angola, with a single specimen reported from Walvis Bay, Namibia (Ref. 188, 81269). Also known from Mediterranean Sea in the southern and eastern parts, penetrating also the Suez Canal (Ref. 188). |
|
Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 18-21; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 17-23. Diagnosis: Body elongate, but variable in depth, belly fairly sharply keeled; total scutes 31-34 (Ref. 188, 81269). Lower gillrakers 70-166 (Ref. 188, 81269). Upper pectoral fin rays white on outer side, the membrane between black (Ref. 188). Sardinella maderensis resembles S. aurita, but pelvic fin with 1 unbranched and 7 branched rays and no black spot on hind part of gill cover, but a faint gold or black area just behind gill opening (Ref. 188). It is distinguished from S. rouxi by having more lower gillrakers, only 30-40 in S. rouxi, and the caudal fin grey, its tips almost black vs. yellow in S. rouxi (Ref. 188).
Description: Body elongate, variable in depth (Ref. 188, 81269, 81631). Lower limb of first gill arch with 70-166 gillrakers (Ref. 188, 81269, 81631). Dorsal fin with 18-21 rays, anal fin with 17-23 rays and pelvic fins with 8 rays (Ref. 81269, 81631). Scales cycloid: 44-47 in a longitudinal series to base of caudal fin; 14-19 prepelvic and 12-14 postpelvic mid-ventral scutes (Ref. 81269, 81631).
Colouration: Alcohol-preserved specimens are silvery (Ref. 81269, 81631). Upper pectoral-fin rays externally white, fin membrane black; caudal fin greyish, caudal tips blackish (Ref. 81269, 81631). No postopercular spot, but a golden or sometimes blackish area just behind gill opening (Ref. 81269, 81631). |
| Forms schools in coastal waters, preferring waters of 24°C. Feeds on a variety of small planktonic invertebrates, fish larvae and phytoplankton. Breeds during the warm season (July-September). Juveniles and adults show clear north-south migrations in the Gabon-Congo-Angola sector of their range and also in the Sierra Leone-Mauritania sector, each area having nurseries. The movements are correlated with the seasonal upwelling. Marketed fresh, frozen or salted. |
|
Vulnerable (A2d)
(Ref. 96402)
|
| harmless |
|
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