Species group · Bony fish

Sardines

WAnimals has 2 species of sardine, all in the family Clupeidae.

2 species
1 family
54 countries
62 parks
Weight
20 g – 267 g
Length
20 cm – 39.5 cm
Lifespan
10 – 14 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 2.

All 2 species of sardines on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

2 Least Concern

No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 54 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • Its name comes from the island of Sardinia, where it was once very abundant.

    From Pilchard

  • It is key food for tuna, marine mammals and seabirds.

    From Pilchard

  • It releases up to 60,000 eggs a spawning, in several batches.

    From Pilchard

  • It forms huge shoals during the day that disperse at night.

    From Pacific Sardine

  • Its populations swing naturally in cycles of about sixty years tied to ocean conditions, quite apart from fishing pressure.

    From Pacific Sardine

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one