European sprat
📖 Overview
Usually inshore schooling, sometimes entering estuaries (especially the juveniles) and tolerating salinities as low as 4 ppt. Shows strong migrations between winter feeding and summer spawning grounds. Moves to the surface at night. Feeds on planktonic crustaceans . Spawns at depths of 10-20 m producing 6,000-14,000 pelagic eggs . Some spawn almost throughout the year, mainly in spring and summer, near the coast or up to 100 km out to sea, the young drifting inshore. Sold as 'brislings' to canneries. Sprat are used in the production of fish meal and as mink food, less for human consumption . Utilized fresh, smoked, canned and frozen; can be pan-fried and broiled .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 21; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 12 - 23. Lower jaw slightly projecting, gill cover without any bony radiating striae, teeth rarely present on vomer; belly with a strong keel of scutes; last two anal fin rays not enlarged. No dark spots on flanks. Pterotic bulla absent.: fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for European sprat is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for European sprat is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Some spawn almost year round but mainly in spring and summer, near to the coast or up to 100 km out to sea, the young drifting inshore. Individual period of spawning takes about two months .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous ; depth range 10 - 150 m . Temperate; 69°N - 30°N, 11°W - 42°E Northeast Atlantic: North Sea and adjacent waters as far north as the Lofoten Area and the west of the British Isles, and Baltic Sea south to Morocco; also in northern Mediterranean (Gulf of Lion and the Adriatic Sea) and Black Sea.
🌿 Ecology
planktonic crustaceans (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Brisling · European sprat · European sprat, Sprat · Garvie · Garvock · Russian Sardine · Russlet · Sprat · Whitebait |
| 🌍BRE | sprat |
| 🌍BUL | Цаца |
| 🌍CES | šprot obecný |
| 🌍CYM | Corbenwaig · coog pennog · corbennog |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Brisling · Europæisk brisling |
| 🇩🇪German | Breitling · Europäische Sprotte · Russische Sardinen · Sprott · Sprotte |
| 🌍ELL | Παπαλίνα |
| 🌍EST | kilu |
| 🇫🇮Finnish | Kilohaili · Voileipäsilli |
| 🇫🇷French | Amelette · Brisling · Esprot · Harenguet · Melette phalérique · Menuise · Oeillet · Sprat |
| 🌍GLA | garvie |
| 🌍HYE | Եվրոպական շպրոտ |
| 🌍ISL | Brislingur |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Papalina |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | スプラット |
| 🌍LAV | Brētliņa |
| 🌍LIT | silkele · Šprotai |
| 🌍MLT | Lacci · Lacci kahla · Sarda kahla · Sardina · Sardina friska · Sardina hadra · Sardinella |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | Sprot |
| 🌍NNO | brisling |
| 🌍NOB | brisling |
| 🇳🇴Norwegian | Brisling |
| 🇵🇱Polish | Szprot · Szprot baltycki · Szprot sródziemnomorski |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Espadilha · Lavadilha |
| 🌍RON | Ceacea · Ciacia · Sardeluta · Sprot · Sprut · Tata |
| 🇷🇺Russian | shprot · Европейский шпрот · Шпрот · Шпрот европейский |
| 🌍SLV | Papalina |
| 🌍SME | reavas · šealggoreavas · šelgesreavas |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Alatxa · Amploya · Collaca · Espadin · Espadines O Arenques Anchoados · Filetes Anchoados de Espadin · Lacha · Sardina · Trancho |
| 🌍SQI | Papaline · papalina |
| 🌍SRP | Papalina |
| 🇸🇪Swedish | Skarpsill · Vassbuk · brisling |
| 🌍TUR | Palatika · caca · Çaça-platika |
| 🌍UKR | Кілька · Шпрот європейський |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) — 32 records indexed .
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