Falkland sprat (Sprattus fuegensis)

Scientific name: Sprattus fuegensis Jenyns, 1842

The Falkland sprat (Sprattus fuegensis) is a marine fish of the family Clupeidae. Native range: Southwest Atlantic, 40?S to Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands, also Burdwood Bank. Records from the Pacific may refer to Strangomera.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-21; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 12 - 23; Vertebrae: 52 - 58. Lower jaw slightly projecting, gill cover without bony radiating striae. Last two anal fin rays not enlarged. No dark spots on flanks. Pterotic bulla absent. Body dark blue dorsally and silvery white laterally and ventrally. All fins translucent.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Sprattus fuegensis
Family: Clupeidae (Herrings, shads and sardines)
Order: Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 18.0
Common length: 15.0
Depth range: 10 m (33 ft)
Environment: Marine; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous; depth range 10 - ? m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Southwest Atlantic: 40?S to Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands, also Burdwood Bank. Records from the Pacific may refer to Strangomera.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.7)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026