| European pilchard | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Clupeiformes |
| Family: | Clupeidae |
| Genus: |
Sardina Antipa, 1904 |
| Species: | S. pilchardus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) |
|
| Synonyms | |
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The European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) is a species of ray-finned fish in the monotypic genus Sardina. This common species is found in the northeast Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea at depths of 10–100 m (33–328 ft). It reaches up to 27.5 cm (10.8 in) in length and mostly feeds on planktonic crustaceans. This schooling species is a batch spawner where each female lays 50,000-60,000 eggs.