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Ganges river sprat (Corica soborna) — Clupeidae

Ganges river sprat

Corica soborna
Family: Clupeidae

The Ganges river sprat (Corica soborna) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Clupeidae that grows up to 5 cm.

Length
5.3 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Range
Asia: Bangladesh, Brunei Darsm, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Viet Nam and others
Edibility
Rarely eaten

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Description

The Ganges river sprat is a small herring (Clupeidae) from fresh and brackish water of South Asia, including the Ganges basin. The species grows to about 5 cm and has a slender, laterally compressed, silvery body with a keeled belly edge. As a schooling fish it swims in great numbers near the surface of rivers and estuaries and filters zooplankton. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Ganges river sprat?

The Ganges river sprat has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Ganges river sprat live?

The Ganges river sprat lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around open water. Asia: Bangladesh, Brunei Darsm, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Viet Nam and others

How big does the Ganges river sprat get?

The Ganges river sprat grows to a maximum of about 5 cm.

Is the Ganges river sprat dangerous to humans?

No, the Ganges river sprat is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Ganges river sprat edible?

The Ganges river sprat is rarely eaten.

More photos

Ganges river sprat (Corica soborna) — Clupeidae — 2
Wikimedia Commons — Salil Kumar Mukherjee (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Ganges river sprat (Corica soborna) — Clupeidae — 3
Wikimedia Commons — C. Achilles (Public domain)
Ganges river sprat (Corica soborna) — Clupeidae — 4
Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology (CC BY-NC 4.0) via GBIF — UF
Ganges river sprat (Corica soborna) — Clupeidae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) Dr Md Abdul Mannan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Fin

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All data

Identification

English name
Ganges river sprat sourced
Scientific name
Corica soborna
Family
Clupeidae
Other names
Ganges river sprat; Hamilton's corica; Shad; Ganga river-sprat verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
5.3 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Natural range
Asia: Bangladesh, Brunei Darsm, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Viet Nam and others sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Diet (detail)
Small fishes, crustaceans and invertebrates inferred
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known. inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten inferred
Fishing method
Small in size and barely an angling target; mostly caught incidentally or as baitfish. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

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

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