Sardines or pilchards are a group of several types of small oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. The terms are not precise, and the usual meanings vary by region; for instance, to many people a "sardine" is a young European pilchard . (FishBase's list of common names shows at least six species called just "pilchard", over a dozen called just "sardine", and many more with the two basic names qualified by various adjectives.)
Canned "sardines" seen in supermarkets may actually be sprats or round herrings .
Genus Dussumeria
- Rainbow sardine Dussumieria acuta
- Slender rainbow sardine Dussumieria elopsoides
Genus Escualosa
- Slender white sardine Escualosa elongata
- White sardine Escualosa thoracata
Genus Sardina
- European pilchard (true sardine) Sardina pilchardus
Genus Sardinella
- Round sardinella (gilt sardine, Spanish sardine) Sardinella aurita
Genus Sardinops
- South American pilchard (Pacific sardine, California sardine, Chilean sardine) Sardinops sagax
