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Pacific Sardine
Scientific Classification
Sardinops sagax
Class: Clupeiformes
Family: Clupeidae
Physical Characteristics
Some sardines mature at 18 cm (7 in), most are mature by 24
cm (9.5 in). They can reach 16 inches, but are usually less than 12 in.
There is a good deal of regional variation in growth rates, with average
size increasing from south to north. In the Pacific northwest, sardine
will reach 215 mm after four year and 235 mm after five years. Females
will grow faster than males. Some individuals mature in their first year,
most in their second. Maximum age 13-25 years, most are less than 8 years.
Size and age at maturity may decline with decrease in biomass.
Habitat
The Pacific sardine is a pelagic fish found in the eastern
Pacific from southeast Alaska to Baja California and the Gulf of California
and also along Peru and Chile. They form large schools (up to 10 million
individuals) and are often associated with anchovy, hake, and mackerel.
Diet
Sardines are filter feeders, preying on plankton (chiefly small
crustaceans such as copepods) and other plankton. All sizes of sardines
are food for a large variety of marine birds, fishes, and mammals. Sardines
may become more important as prey for many species as the sardine resource
continues to increase.
Behaviors
The Pacific Sardines migrate up and down the Pacific Ocean.
The northern sub-population of sardine has made extensive migration, moving
north to British Columbia in early summer and back to southern California
in the fall and winter. Each year of life, the migration is farther to
the north. The largest oldest fish as the culmination of the northward
movement reach the west coast of British Columbia, with somewhat small
sizes off Washington and Oregon. The timing and extent of migration is
affected by oceanographic conditions. The extent of the migration is not
as great with smaller population sizes.
Reproduction
Main spawning areas are off southern California, in the upper
165 feet of the water column, out to about 100 miles. Sporadic occurrences
have occurred off British Columbia and Oregon. The spatial and temporal
distribution of spawning is influenced by temperature. During warm water
conditions, the center of spawning has shifted northward and continued
longer. Spawning mostly occurs at temperatures between 59° and 65°
F. Some spawning may occur year-round, but it peaks in April to May and
usually occurs at night. Sardines will spawn several times over a season
with a large female producing up to 200,000 eggs in a season. Eggs are
found near the surface and will hatch in about three days. Young fish move
inshore and congregate into schools near the beach.
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