Home · Clupeidae · Aol
Aol (Spratelloides delicatulus) — Clupeidae

Aol

Spratelloides delicatulus
Family: Clupeidae
LC · Least Concern

The Aol (Spratelloides delicatulus) is a saltwater fish of the family Clupeidae that grows up to 7 cm.

Length
7 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The delicate round herring is a small herring-like fish of the family Clupeidae widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific. The species has a slender, silvery body with a bluish back and a shining lateral band, and reaches only about 7 cm. It is a schooling fish occurring in large numbers in clear coastal waters, lagoons and along reef margins, where it feeds near the surface on plankton. The species is of modest commercial importance: it is marketed fresh or salted-dried and is widely used as live bait for the tuna fishery.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Aol?

The Aol has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a horizontal stripes pattern.

Where does the Aol live?

The Aol lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Aol get?

The Aol grows to a maximum of about 7 cm.

Is the Aol dangerous to humans?

No, the Aol is harmless to humans.

Is the Aol edible?

The Aol is rarely eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Sierlijke rondharing sourced
English name
Aol verified
Scientific name
Spratelloides delicatulus
Family
Clupeidae
Other names
Banded blue sprat; Blue sprat; Blueback sprat; Bluebacked sprat verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
7.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Horizontal stripes 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
Stone or rock 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
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Gevangen met kleine netten; vooral gebruikt als aas voor de tonijnvisserij, ook vers of gezouten-gedroogd verhandeld. sourced
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 Spratelloides

More from the family Clupeidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →