Bleeker smoothbelly sardinella (Amblygaster clupeoides)

Scientific name: Amblygaster clupeoides Bleeker, 1849

The Bleeker smoothbelly sardinella (Amblygaster clupeoides) is a marine fish of the family Clupeidae. Native range: Indo-West Pacific, southern coasts of India, perhaps Bay of Bengal, and Indonesia eastward to Fiji. Reported from New Caledonia and Tonga.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-21; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 12 - 23. Body moderately deep, belly rather rounded, scutes not prominent. Distinguished from A. sirm by the absence of spots along the flank (gold in life, black on preservation) and fewer lower gill rakers. Closely resembles A. leiogaster, which has more lower gill rakers. Round-bodied Sardinella species have i 8 pelvic fin rays and more than 100 lower gill rakers.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Amblygaster clupeoides
Family: Clupeidae (Herrings, shads and sardines)
Order: Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 21.0
Common length: 15.0
Depth range: 0–50 m (0–164 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 50 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: southern coasts of India, perhaps Bay of Bengal, and Indonesia eastward to Fiji. Reported from New Caledonia and Tonga.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; bait: usually
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Assuming Fec > 10,000)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026