# Sardine (*Sardina pilchardus*) Sardines are small, oily fish that are usually found in big groups. They are tasty and very healthy to eat! - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Open ocean - **Also known as:** Pilchard ![Sardine](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771438757/objects/4700.jpg) ## Appearance The Sardine is a slender, torpedo-shaped fish with shimmering silver sides and a distinctive blue-green back. It has small, easily detachable scales and a relatively small mouth, differentiating it from similar, larger-mouthed fish like anchovies. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Clupeiformes - **Family:** Clupeidae - **Genus:** Sardina ## Interesting facts - Sardine schools can stretch for kilometers, looking like a moving ocean city! - Sardines filter tiny plants and animals, helping to clean the ocean as they eat! - The name 'sardine' might come from the island of Sardinia, where they were once abundant. - They produce special oils that are super healthy for humans and other animals. ## Special abilities - **Super Schooler:** Sardine can swim in massive schools because of their strong social instinct, which helps them confuse predators. - **Micro Muncher:** Sardine has gill rakers that act like tiny sieves, helping them filter-feed efficiently on microscopic ocean life. - **Quick Twister:** Sardine can make incredibly fast turns and dart away, helping them escape from hungry predators in a flash. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 10-25 cm - **Weight:** 0.05-0.2 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-7 years - **Swim Speed:** 15 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 200 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding Sardines are tiny ocean cleaners, gobbling up microscopic plants and animals from the water! - **Primary Foods:** phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish larvae - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Bluefin Tuna](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bluefin-tuna) (*Thunnus thynnus*) — A primary food source for larger predatory fish. - **Eaten by:** [Bottlenose Dolphin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bottlenose-dolphin) (*Tursiops truncatus*) — Dolphins hunt sardine schools for an easy meal. - **Eaten by:** [Brown Pelican](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-pelican) (*Pelecanus occidentalis*) — Seabirds dive into schools to catch sardines. - **Eats:** Copepod (*Calanus finmarchicus*) — Sardines filter these small crustaceans from the water. - **Eats:** Diatom (*Chaetoceros debilis*) — They consume various phytoplankton, including diatoms. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Sardine? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Sardine? 10-25 cm ### How much does Sardine weigh? 0.05-0.2 kg ### How long does Sardine live? 3-7 years ### What does Sardine eat? Sardines are tiny ocean cleaners, gobbling up microscopic plants and animals from the water! ### How fast can Sardine swim? 15 km/h ### Where is Sardine usually found? Open ocean ### How does Sardine hunt? Filter feeding ## Where to spot - [Monterey Bay Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/monterey-bay-aquarium) — California, US · Zoo - [Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ashizuri-uwakai-national-park) — Shikoku, JP · Park ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Sardine: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sardine)