Sardinelle De Bali

A faint golden spot behind gill opening, followed by a faint golden mid-lateral line; a distinct black spot at hind border of gill cover (absence of pigment). Body elongate, sub-cylindrical. Distinguished from all other clupeids in the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific by its pelvic fin ray count of i 8; from S. longiceps by its shorter head length and fewer lower gill rakers.

Spawning tends to take place in inshore waters where salinity is low (Ref. 6863) at the beginning of the rainy season. Spawning aggregations may be formed, also including Amblygaster sirm, A. leogaster and Clupea fimbriata.

Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 21; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 12 - 23

Found in deeper waters during daytime and comes to the surface at night (presumably to feed on plankton) (Ref. 188). A schooling species in the inshore waters (Ref. 75154).

Adults form large schools in coastal waters, particularly in the Bali Strait upwelling. Found in sheltered bays and lagoons (Ref. 48635). They feed on phytoplankton and zooplankton, chiefly copepods. Time series analysis (Ref. 9586) suggests that recruitment fluctuations are related to ENSO events, as defined in Ref. 9577, 9578 and 9580.

fisheries: highly commercial; price category: low; price reliability: reliable: based on ex-vessel price for this species