Pacific sardine

The Pacific sardine (Sardinops caerulea) is an abundant, small, clupeid fish found along the Pacific coast of North America. These silvery, elongated fish, typically 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) long, live in dense schools and migrate along the coast. They are a vital commercial fish, primarily used for canning, fish meal, and oil production.12

Pacific sardines feed on plankton, consuming vast quantities of diatoms, flagellates, copepods, and other small organisms. They are a widespread and highly migratory species, inhabiting areas across the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Their abundance is a key factor in their economic importance, and they are caught using methods like purse seines.32