Lile stolifera (Jordan & Gilbert 1882)

Body moderately slender, quite strongly compressed, belly sharply keeled. The bright silver stripe along the flank distinguishes it from all similar clupeids in the area. Hind border of gill opening evenly rounded (with two fleshy outgrowths in Harengula and Opisthonema, the latter with a filamentous last dorsal fin ray).

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

Shooling inshore and in beaches, lagoons and estuaries. May also tolerate fresh water. May spawn the year round (at least in Costa Rica). Feeds on plankton, especially on small crustaceans and fish larvae and also on radiolarians.

A coastal-pelagic species that forms dense schools in beaches, lagoons and estuaries (Ref. 9291). Tolerates brackish and fresh waters (Ref. 9291). Feeds on plankton, especially on small crustaceans and fish larvae (Ref. 9291). Processed into oil and fishmeal (Ref. 37955).

fisheries: minor commercial; price category: low; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family