Home · Clupeidae · Blue sardine
Blue sardine (Amblygaster leiogaster) — Clupeidae

Blue sardine

Amblygaster leiogaster
Family: Clupeidae
LC · Least Concern

The Blue sardine (Amblygaster leiogaster) is a saltwater fish of the family Clupeidae that grows up to 23 cm.

Length
23 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The smoothbelly sardinella is a herring-like fish (Clupeidae) from the Indo-West Pacific. The species reaches about 23 cm and has a streamlined, silvery body with a blue-green back. Unlike many related sardines it has a smooth belly without sharp keel scutes, to which the name refers. It is a pronounced schooling fish that lives in coastal waters and filters zooplankton from the water. The species is regularly caught in coastal fisheries and eaten both fresh and processed; it is also used as bait.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Blue sardine?

The Blue sardine has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Blue sardine live?

The Blue sardine lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Blue sardine get?

The Blue sardine grows to a maximum of about 23 cm. On average the species is around 18 cm.

Is the Blue sardine dangerous to humans?

No, the Blue sardine is harmless to humans.

Is the Blue sardine edible?

Yes, the Blue sardine is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Gladbuik-sardine sourced
English name
Blue sardine verified
Scientific name
Amblygaster leiogaster
Family
Clupeidae
Other names
Blue sprat; Bluebait; Sardine; Smoothbelly sardine verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
23.0 verified
Average length (cm)
18.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
50.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Sportvissen met kunstaas of (dood/levend) aasvis door te trollen, te werpen of drijvend te vissen in open water. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Amblygaster

More from the family Clupeidae

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