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Blacksaddle herring (Herklotsichthys dispilonotus) — Clupeidae

Blacksaddle herring

Herklotsichthys dispilonotus
Family: Clupeidae

The Blacksaddle herring (Herklotsichthys dispilonotus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Clupeidae that grows up to 9 cm.

Length
8.5 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0.0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The blacksaddle herring is a small herring relative (Clupeidae) from shallow coastal and estuarine water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 12 cm and has a slender, laterally compressed, bright-silvery body with a keeled belly and a few dark spots on the back. As an open-water schooling fish it swims in dense groups near the coast and filters small zooplankton. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Blacksaddle herring?

The Blacksaddle herring has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Blacksaddle herring live?

The Blacksaddle herring lives in brackish water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Blacksaddle herring get?

The Blacksaddle herring grows to a maximum of about 9 cm. On average the species is around 7 cm.

Is the Blacksaddle herring dangerous to humans?

No, the Blacksaddle herring is harmless to humans.

Is the Blacksaddle herring edible?

The Blacksaddle herring is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Tweevlek-haring sourced
English name
Blacksaddle herring sourced
Scientific name
Herklotsichthys dispilonotus
Family
Clupeidae
Other names
Blacksaddle herring; Sardine verified

Appearance

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

Habitat & distribution

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

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten inferred
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Herklotsichthys

More from the family Clupeidae

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