New Zealand blueback sprat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Zealand blueback sprat |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Clupeiformes |
| Family: | Clupeidae |
| Genus: | Sprattus |
| Species: |
S. antipodum
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| Binomial name | |
| Sprattus antipodum (Hector, 1872)
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The New Zealand blueback sprat (Sprattus antipodum) is a small, silvery fish that looks a bit like a herring. It's a type of forage fish, which means it's a small fish that bigger fish eat. This sprat belongs to the family called Clupeidae, which includes herrings, sardines, and anchovies.
You can find these fish in the waters around New Zealand. They live between 37° S and 48° S latitude (which tells you how far north or south they are from the equator) and 166° E and 180° E longitude (which tells you how far east or west they are). They usually swim in waters up to 50 meters deep.
This sprat is part of the genus Sprattus. Fish in this group are often called sprats. They are known as oily fish because they have healthy oils in their bodies. The New Zealand blueback sprat can grow up to 12 centimeters long.
What They Do
New Zealand blueback sprats love to swim together in large groups called schools. They usually form these schools in coastal waters, either near the bottom or in the middle of the water. Sometimes, especially in summer, you might see their schools swimming closer to the surface.
How People Use Them
These sprats are mainly caught by small-scale fishers for their own use or to sell locally. This is often called a subsistence fishery. They are also sometimes used as fishing bait to help catch bigger fish.
 | Misty Copeland |
 | Raven Wilkinson |
 | Debra Austin |
 | Aesha Ash |
