Herring

Body elongate, but variable in depth, belly fairly sharply keeled; total scutes 31 to 34. Lower gillrakers 70 to 166 (in fishes 6 cm standard length or more). Upper pectoral finrays white on outer side, the membrane between black. Resembles S. aurita, but pelvic finrays i 7 (i 8 in S. aurita ) and no black spot on hind part of gill cover (but faint gold or black area just behind gill opening). Distinguished from S. rouxi by having more lower gillrakers (only 30 to 40 in S. rouxi ) and the caudal fin grey, its tips almost black (yellow in S. rouxi ).

Mediterranean (southern and eastern parts, also penetrating Suez Canal); eastern Atlantic (Gilbraltar southward to Angola and a single recorded specimen from Walvis Bay, Namibia).

To 30 cm standard length, usually to 25 cm.

Coastal,pelagic,but tolerant of low salinities in estuaries, schooling, preferring waters of 24° C, at surface or at bottom down to 50 m, strongly migratory.Feeds on a variety of small planktonic invertebrates, also fish larvae and phytoplankton. Breeds only once in the year, during the warm season (July-September), in coastal waters. Juveniles and adults show clear north-south migrations in the Gabon Congo-Angola sector of their' range and also in the Sierra Leone -Mauritania sector, each area having nurseries; the movements are correlated with the seasonal upwelling. Migrations in the central part (Ivory Coast-Ghana) are not so marked.

Of considerable importance off West African coasts, but combined with S. aurita in most statistics, partly because the two are often caught together. The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 146 097 t. The countries with the largest catches were Senegal (105 120 t) and Latvia (15 031 t).

Diagnosis: Body elongate, but variable in depth, belly fairly sharply keeled; with 14-20 pre-pelvic and 12-15 post-pelvic scutes, total scutes 31-34; lower gillrakers 70-166, increasing with growth; upper pectoral finrays white on outer side, the membrane between black (Ref. 188, 3259, 81269, 81631). It resembles Sardinella aurita, but pelvic fin with 1 unbranched and 7 branched rays vs. 1 unbranched and 8 branched rays in S. aurita and no black spot on hind part of gill cover, but faint gold or black area just behind gill opening (Ref. 187, 188). It is distinguished from S. rouxi by having more lower gillrakers, which is only 30-40 in S. rouxi, and the caudal fin grey, its tips almost black vs. pale yellow with distal margin dusky in S. rouxi (Ref. 187, 188, 81269).Description: Body elongate, but variable in depth, belly fairly sharply keeled (Ref. 188, 81269, 81631). Eye moderate, more than 3 times in head length; mouth terminal (Ref. 187). Gillrakers fine and numerous; lower limb of first gill arch with 70-166 gillrakers, increasing with growth (Ref. 187, 188, 3259, 81269, 81631). Dorsal fin with 3-4 unbranched and 14-19 branched rays, dorsal fin origin a little before midpoint of body; anal fin with 3 unbranched and 14-19 branched rays, anal fin origin well behind dorsal fin base; pectoral fin with 1 unbranched and 13-16 branched rays; and pelvic fins with 1 unbranched and 7 branched rays (Ref. 187, 1989, 2849, 3259, 81269, 81631, 102353). Scales cycloid; 40-50 in a longitudinal series to base of caudal fin; 11-13 in transverse series (Ref. 3259, 43853, 81269, 81631, 121227). Belly compressed, with sharp keel of scutes, becoming more rounded in adults; 14-20 pre-pelvic scutes and 12-15 post-pelvic mid-ventral scutes (Ref. 2849, 3259, 81269, 81631). Vertebrae 44-48 (Ref. 815, 1989, 121227).Colouration: Alcohol-preserved specimens are silvery (Ref. 81269, 81631). Upper pectoral-fin rays externally white, while fin membranes are black; caudal fin greyish with black tipped lobes; no postopercular spot, but a golden or sometimes blackish area just behind gill opening (Ref. 188, 2849, 81269, 81631). Dorsal fin yellow with dusky margin and a black spot at base of anterior finrays (Ref. 2945).

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): 18 - 23; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 17 - 23; Vertebrae: 44 - 48

A coastal, pelagic species, but tolerant of low salinities (Ref. 188, 5286, 27000, 86940); sometimes in estuaries and lagoons (Ref. 188, 2683). It forms schools, preferring waters of 24°C, at surface or at bottom down to 50m, strongly migratory (Ref. 188, 5286). It feeds on a variety of small planktonic invertebrates, also fish larvae and phytoplankton (Ref. 188, 27165).

A coastal, pelagic species, but tolerant of low salinities (Ref. 188, 5286, 27000, 86940); sometimes in estuaries and lagoons (Ref. 188, 2683). It forms schools, preferring waters of 24°C, at surface or at bottom down to 50m, strongly migratory (Ref. 188, 5286). It feeds on a variety of small planktonic invertebrates, also fish larvae and phytoplankton (Ref. 188, 27165). It breeds only once in the year, during the warm season between July and September, in coastal waters; juveniles and adults show clear north-south migrations in the Gabon-Congo-Angola sector and the Sierra Leone-Mauritania sector of the Atlantic Ocean, each area having nurseries; these movements are correlated with the seasonal upwelling (Ref. 188). It is of considerable importance off West African coasts, but combined with Sardinella aurita in most statistics, partly because both species are often caught together (Ref. 188).

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

Sardinella maderensis (Madeiran sardinella) is a species of small ray-finned fish in the genus Sardinella which is found in the Eastern Atlantic and Southeastern Mediterranean. it is a silvery fish similar to the round sardinella (Sardinella aurita), but can be distinguished from that species by having gray caudal fins with black tips. It feeds on phytoplankton and fish larvae and is a pelagic, oceanodromous species that forms schools in coastal waters, often mixed with S. aurita. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated this fish's conservation status as "vulnerable".