Depth
Sardinella · Bony Fish

Round Sardinella

Sardinella aurita

0-350m
Depth Range
30cm
Max Size
Mediterranean
Distribution
0-350m
Depth Range
30cm
Max Size
Pelagic
Habitat
Planktivore
Diet
Schooling
Social
LC
IUCN Status
High
Sighting Likelihood
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassActinopterygii
GenusSardinella
Speciesaurita

Bony Fish

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationSmall, elongated fish with a rounded belly cross-section. Blue-green back with silver flanks and a golden lateral line. Similar to a sardine but with a more rounded body.
  • SizeUp to 30 cm total length, commonly 15 to 22 cm.
  • Social HabitHighly gregarious, forming enormous surface schools in coastal waters.
  • HabitatCoastal pelagic waters near the surface. Found in bays, harbours, and along the coast.
  • DepthSurface to 80 m, most common in the upper 30 m.
  • Feeds OnZooplankton and small crustaceans filtered from the water.
  • DistributionEastern Atlantic from Portugal to South Africa, including the Mediterranean Sea where it has expanded northward with warming waters.
  • DescriptionA warm-water fish that has become increasingly common in the Mediterranean as sea temperatures rise. Once confined to the southern Mediterranean, round sardinella now form large schools along the coasts of Malta and beyond. Their expansion is one of the clearest signals of climate change in Mediterranean fisheries.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

Found from the surface to around 350 m depth, though most common in the upper 80 m. Inhabits coastal and oceanic pelagic waters throughout the Mediterranean.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Environment

Favours warm surface waters, especially in areas of high plankton productivity. Its abundance in the eastern Mediterranean has increased markedly with rising sea temperatures.

Encounter Tips

Best approached slowly and calmly. Avoid casting shadows directly over the animal. Neutral buoyancy and patience increase encounter success significantly.

Round Sardinella species card

Biology

Behaviour & Diet

Feeding Strategy

A filter feeder that strains phytoplankton and zooplankton from the water through its gill rakers. Forms dense feeding schools near the surface at dawn and dusk.

Filter feeder

Reproduction

Spawns throughout the warmer months with peak activity in summer. Pelagic eggs hatch rapidly, and larvae grow quickly in warm surface waters.

Prolonged spawner

Behaviour & Defence

Massive schools confuse predators through coordinated movement and reflective flashing. The species' small size and abundance make it a classic prey-swarm strategist.

Mass schooling

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Where to Encounter in Malta

Dive sites where Sardinella aurita may be encountered will be added as sighting data is collected.

IUCN Red ListLeast Concern

Conservation Status

This species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Mediterranean populations face ongoing pressure from fishing activity, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes.

Source: IUCN Red List
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