Deep-bodied sardine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White Sardinella |
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The white sardinella (Sardinella albella) is a small, shiny fish that lives in the ocean. You might also hear it called the deep-bodied sardine or short-bodied sardine. It's a type of ray-finned fish and belongs to a group called Sardinella.
This fish is important for people because it's often caught and eaten. You can find it prepared in many ways, like dried, salted, or fresh.
About the White Sardinella
The white sardinella lives in warm waters across a huge area. This area is called the Indo-West Pacific region. You can find these fish from places like Madagascar all the way to India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and even Taiwan. They also live south of Papua New Guinea.
These fish are usually found in groups called schools. They swim together, often at depths of about 20 to 50 meters (around 65 to 164 feet) below the surface.
What Does It Look Like?
The white sardinella is a fairly small fish. It usually grows up to about 21.5 centimeters (around 8.5 inches) long.
Here are some cool facts about its body:
- It has between 13 and 21 soft rays on its back fin (called the dorsal fin).
- It also has 12 to 23 soft rays on its bottom fin (called the anal fin).
- You can often spot a dark mark right where its dorsal fin starts.
What Do They Eat?
White sardinellas are not picky eaters! They mostly munch on tiny living things in the water. These tiny creatures are called plankton. Plankton are a very important food source for many ocean animals.
See also
- List of common commercial fish of Sri Lanka
