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Goldstripe sardinella (Sardinella gibbosa) — Clupeidae

Goldstripe sardinella

Sardinella gibbosa
Family: Clupeidae
LC · Least Concern
NativeIntroduced

The Goldstripe sardinella (Sardinella gibbosa) is a saltwater fish of the family Clupeidae that grows up to 30 cm.

Length
29.6 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
10.0–70.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Range
Indo-West Pacific
Edibility
Commonly eaten

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Description

The goldstripe sardinella is a small herring relative from the Indo-West Pacific, from East Africa to the western Pacific. The species grows to about 17 cm (up to about 30 cm) and has a slender, laterally compressed, silvery body with a thin golden lateral stripe. It forms large schools in coastal water and filters zooplankton. It is a heavily caught food and bait fish. The fish is harmless to humans and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Goldstripe sardinella?

The Goldstripe sardinella has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a horizontal stripes pattern. Golden longitudinal stripe; forms large plankton-feeding shoals

Where does the Goldstripe sardinella live?

The Goldstripe sardinella lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around open water. Indo-West Pacific

How big does the Goldstripe sardinella get?

The Goldstripe sardinella grows to a maximum of about 30 cm. On average the species is around 15 cm.

Is the Goldstripe sardinella dangerous to humans?

No, the Goldstripe sardinella 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 Goldstripe sardinella edible?

Yes, the Goldstripe sardinella is commonly eaten.

More photos

Goldstripe sardinella (Sardinella gibbosa) — Clupeidae — 2
Wikimedia Commons — Remove "cropped" from file name and see original file (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Goldstripe sardinella (Sardinella gibbosa) — Clupeidae — 3
Wikimedia Commons — Sahat Ratmuangkhwang (CC BY 3.0)
Goldstripe sardinella (Sardinella gibbosa) — Clupeidae — 4
Wikimedia Commons — Hariprasad Shetty10 (CC0)
Goldstripe sardinella (Sardinella gibbosa) — Clupeidae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) Niran Anurakpongsathorn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))

Easily confused with

These species look like the Goldstripe sardinella and live in the same waters.

Fin

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All data

Identification

English name
Goldstripe sardinella verified
Scientific name
Sardinella gibbosa
Family
Clupeidae
Other names
Fringe-scaled pilchard; Gold stripe sardine; Gold stripe sardinella; Goldstipe sardinella; Goldstripe sardine; Fringed-scaled sardine; Goldstripe sardinelle; Goldstripe sardines; Indian sprat; Sardine; Slender sardine verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
29.6 verified
Average length (cm)
15.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Horizontal stripes sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
10.0 verified
Max depth (m)
70.0 verified
Natural range
Indo-West Pacific verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Zooplankton inferred
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced
levensduur_max_jaar
7.0 verified
Seasonality
Coastal schooling sardinella; present year-round. sourced
Special features
Golden longitudinal stripe; forms large plankton-feeding shoals sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Angling with lures or (dead/live) baitfish by trolling, casting or drift fishing in open water. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
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

Same genus Sardinella

More from the family Clupeidae

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