European pilchard

European pilchard
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Clupeiformes
Family: Clupeidae
Genus: Sardina
Antipa, 1904
Species: S. pilchardus
Binomial name
Sardina pilchardus
(Walbaum, 1792)
Synonyms
  • Alosa pilchardus
  • Clupea pilchardus
  • Clupea harengus pilchardus

European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) is a species of ray-finned fish in the monotypic genus Sardina. Littoral species. Forms schools, usually at depths of 25 to 55 or even 100 m by day, rising to 10 to 35 m at night. Feeds mainly on planktonic crustaceans, also on larger organisms. Spawns in batches, in the open sea or near the coast, producing 50,000-60,000 eggs with a mean diameter of 1.5 mm.

Footnotes