Fish Poisson

Sardine

Sardina pilchardus

Sardine
(GSA7) Gulf of Lion, (GSA9) Ligurian and Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, (GSA10) Central and Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, (GSA20) Eastern Ionian Sea
Fishing zones
Wild
Origin
15 cm
Minimum size

Description

The body is elongated, sub-cylindrical, and relatively robust. The belly is rounded without a sharp keel. The back is blue-green to olive, with silvery flanks and belly. It features distinct radiating bony striae on the operculum (gill cover). A row of dark spots is often present along the upper flanks. The dorsal fin originates well ahead of the midpoint of the body.
Size: Commonly 15 to 20 cm, maximum length up to 27.5 cm.
The sardine is a planktivore (filter feeder). It feeds mainly on small planktonic crustaceans (such as copepods) as well as phytoplankton (diatoms), which it filters from the water using its specialized gill rakers.

Information

Habitat
It is a coastal, pelagic marine fish that forms dense schools. It is mainly found at depths between 10 and 100 meters (sometimes down to 150 meters at night). It exhibits daily vertical migrations, staying near the bottom during the day and rising to the surface at night.
Distribution
Northeast Atlantic: From southern Norway (rare) and the North Sea down to Senegal.
Inland Seas: Abundant throughout the entire Mediterranean Sea (very common in the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian seas), the Sea of Marmara, and the Black Sea.
Recommended recipes
Dish First course
Pan-Fried Sardines with Salsa Verde

Pan-Fried Sardines with Salsa Verde

10 min • Facile

This simple recipe brings out the flavor of the sardines with a fresh salsa verde flavored with herbs, capers, garlic, and lemon.

Dish
Sardine Cake

Sardine Cake

180 min • Average

Sometimes a recipe just comes along—imposing, self-assured—and you don’t change a thing. Sometimes it’s a long journey: starting with a cooked fish—a red mullet prepared in the cotriade style—I ended up with a raw fish that turned into a sardine… What will it be tomorrow?