Bluestripe herring (Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus)

Scientific name: Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus R?ppell, 1837

The Bluestripe herring (Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Clupeidae.

Biology

Adults form schools near mangroves, shallow coastal bays and lagoons during the day and moves further offshore into deeper water by night. Known in mills around in large schools under wharves or along sandy beaches in protected bays. Are pelagic. Feeding occurs mainly at night on zooplankton, chiefly copepods by juveniles, and as adults, on larger prey organisms (chaetognaths, polychaetes, shrimps and small fishes). Breeding occurs on the first year and probably survive only a few months after maturity. Marketed fresh and dried salted. Usually parceled in leaves and baked in a motu oven. Do not recover quite as quickly as other species of baitfish after heavy fishing.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus
Family: Clupeidae (Herrings, shads and sardines)
Order: Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 25.0
Common length: 10.0
Depth range: 1–13 m (3–43 ft)
Environment: Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 13 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: widespread, East Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius eastward to Japan, eastern Australia, Samoa. Introduced into Hawaii - apparently by accident - where it is now abundant. (most previous data published under the name Herklotsichthys punctatus). At least one country reports adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Potential pest
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial; bait: usually
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=2.6)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026