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Hualien sardinella (Sardinella hualiensis) — Clupeidae

Hualien sardinella

Sardinella hualiensis
Family: Clupeidae

The Hualien sardinella (Sardinella hualiensis) is a saltwater fish of the family Clupeidae that grows up to 13 cm.

Length
12.5 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Range
Asia: China, Taiwan/Ch Taipei, Hong Kong, Philippines
Edibility
Commonly eaten

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Description

The Hualien sardinella is a sardine (Clupeidae) from warm coastal waters of the northwest Pacific around Taiwan. The species grows to about 20 cm and has a slender, streamlined, bright-silvery body with a blue-green back and large, easily shed scales. As a social schooling fish it forms large, shimmering swarms in open water and filters zooplankton with its gill rakers. It is a very important food and bait fish. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Hualien sardinella?

The Hualien sardinella has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Hualien sardinella live?

The Hualien sardinella lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around open water. Asia: China, Taiwan/Ch Taipei, Hong Kong, Philippines

How big does the Hualien sardinella get?

The Hualien sardinella grows to a maximum of about 13 cm. On average the species is around 10 cm.

Is the Hualien sardinella dangerous to humans?

No, the Hualien 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 Hualien sardinella edible?

Yes, the Hualien sardinella is commonly eaten.

More photos

Hualien sardinella (Sardinella hualiensis) — Clupeidae — 2
Williams, Jeffrey T. (CC0 1.0) via GBIF — USNM
Hualien sardinella (Sardinella hualiensis) — Clupeidae — 3
iNaturalist ((c) tern911, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
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All data

Identification

English name
Hualien sardinella sourced
Scientific name
Sardinella hualiensis
Family
Clupeidae
Other names
Taiwan sardinella sourced

Appearance

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

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
50.0 verified
Natural range
Asia: China, Taiwan/Ch Taipei, Hong Kong, Philippines 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
Commonly 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

Same genus Sardinella

More from the family Clupeidae

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