Round sardinella (Sardinella aurita)

Scientific name: Sardinella aurita Valenciennes, 1847

The Round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) is a brackish-water fish of the family Clupeidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 24°C (75°F).

Round sardinella care at a glance

Temperature: 24°C (75°F)

Biology

Schools in coastal waters from inshore to edge of shelf. Prefers clear saline water with a minimum temperature below 24?C. Juveniles tend to stay in nursery areas, but on maturity rejoin adult stocks offshore. Strongly migratory, often rising to surface at night and dispersing. Feeds mainly on zooplankton, especially copepods. Juveniles take phytoplankton. Breeds perhaps throughout the year, but with distinct peaks. In some areas there are two main spawning periods. Marketed fresh or canned. Trematode found in intestinal tract.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Sardinella aurita
Family: Clupeidae (Herrings, shads and sardines)
Order: Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 31.0
Common length: 25.0
Depth range: 0–350 m (0–1148 ft)
Environment: Marine; brackish; reef-associated; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 350 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Eastern Atlantic: Gibraltar to Saldanha Bay, South Africa. Also known from the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Western Atlantic: Cape Cod, USA to Argentina. Bahamas, Antilles, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coast.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: highly commercial; bait: usually
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.25-1.2; tm=1; tmax=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