''Sardinops'' is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial no ...

sardine "Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the It ...

s of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...

Clupeidae Clupeidae is a family of ray-finned fishes, comprising, for instance, the herrings, shads, sardines, hilsa, and menhadens. The clupeoids include many of the most important food fishes in the world, and are also commonly caught for producti ...

. The only member of the genus is ''Sardinops sagax''. It is found in the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

and East Pacific oceans. Its length is up to . It has numerous common or vernacular names, some of which more appropriately refer to subspecies, including blue pilchard, Australian pilchard (''S. s. neopilchardus''), blue-bait, Californian pilchard (''S. s. caeruleus''),

Peruvian Pacific sardine The Peruvian Pacific sardine (scientific name ''Sardinops sagax sagax'') is a subspecies of the South American pilchard found in Peru. Related subspecies and species of international importance include '' Sardinops sagax caeruleus'' (USA), '' Sa ...

(''S. s. sagax''), South American pilchard, Chilean sardine (''S. s. sagax''), Japanese pilchard (''S. s. melanostictus''), Pacific sardine, and Southern African pilchard (''S. s. ocellatus'').

South Australian sardine fishery

The South Australian sardine fishery targets ''Sardinops sagax'' and is the highest yielding single species fishery in Australia by volume. The fishery employs the technique of purse seining. Schools of sardines are encircled by a net up to 1 kilometre in length which is then drawn closed at the bottom. The catch is then pumped on board the fishing vessel where it is stored in refrigerated holds at below freezing temperatures. 94% of the catch is used as feed in

Southern bluefin tuna The southern bluefin tuna (''Thunnus maccoyii'') is a tuna of the family Scombridae found in open southern Hemisphere waters of all the world's oceans mainly between 30°S and 50°S, to nearly 60°S. At up to and weighing up to , it is among ...

ranching operations off Port Lincoln, South Australia. The remaining 6% of the catch serves human consumption, recreational

fishing bait Fishing bait is any substance used to attract and catch fish, e.g. on a fishing hook. Bait items are both selected from and placed within the environment to achieve enhanced prey capture success. Traditionally, fishing baits are natural fish food ...

and premium

pet food Pet food is animal feed intended for consumption by pets. Typically sold in pet stores and supermarkets, it is usually specific to the type of animal, such as dog food or cat food. Most meat used for animals is a byproduct of the human food indu ...

markets. The industry commenced in South Australia in 1991 with an annual catch quota of . In 2003, the fishery's annual quota was set at . By 2014, the annual quota had increased to . The fishery's total landed catch peaked at in the financial year 2004-05 stabilising at around per year thereafter. A key area of concern for industry compliance in 2004 was quota evasion. Quota evasion had previously occurred in several forms: unloading catch directly to tuna farms, failing to report prior to unloading catch and dumping excess catch at sea.

Gallery

School of sardines at the Monterey Bay Aquarium (12056).jpg, alt=Visitors watch a school of thousands of Pacific sardines form a tornado in an exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium, A school of ''S. sagax'' in the Open Sea exhibit at

Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California. Known for its regional focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay, it was the first to exhibit a living kelp forest when it opened in October 1984. Its biologists ...

Sardines.ogv, Pacific sardines in the

Sunshine Aquarium Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when t ...

Catch of Pacific sardines.jpg, Catch of Pacific sardines Sardine photo4 exp.jpg, Pacific sardines are blue-green on the back and have white flanks with 1 to 3 lengthwise rows of dark spots.

References

* *

External links

* * Australian Sardine @ Fishes of Australia
/small> {{Authority control Clupeinae Western American coastal fauna Marine fauna of Southern Africa Fish of Madagascar Fish of Australia Fish of East Asia Marine fish of Australia Fish of Oceania Monotypic fish genera Commercial fish Taxa named by Leonard Jenyns Fish described in 1842 Articles containing video clips

South Australian sardine fishery

Gallery

See also

References

External links