Sardines
Sardines are small epipelagic fish that sometimes migrate along the coast in large schools. They are an important forage fish for larger forms of marine life.
Global commercial capture of sardines in tonnes reported by the FAO 1950–2009[1]

Sardine and pilchard are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae.[2] The term 'sardine' was first used in English during the early 15th century; a somewhat dubious folk etymology says it comes from the Italian island of Sardinia, around which sardines were once supposedly abundant.[3][4][5]

The terms 'sardine' and 'pilchard' are not precise, and what is meant depends on the region. The United Kingdom's Sea Fish Industry Authority, for example, classifies sardines as young pilchards.[6] One criterion suggests fish shorter in length than 15 cm (6 in) are sardines, and larger fish are pilchards.[7]

The FAO/WHO Codex standard for canned sardines cites 21 species that may be classed as sardines.[8] FishBase, a database of information about fish, calls at least six species pilchards, over a dozen just sardines, and many more with the two basic names qualified by various adjectives.

Etymology

The word 'sardine' first appeared in English in the 15th century, a loanword from French sardine, derived from Latin sardina, from Ancient Greek σαρδίνη (sardínē) or σαρδῖνος (sardĩnos),[9] possibly from the Greek Σαρδώ (Sardō) 'Sardinia'. Athenaios quotes a fragmentary passage from Aristotle mentioning the fish σαρδῖνος (sardĩnos), referring to the sardine or pilchard.[10] However, Sardinia is over 1000 km from Athens, so it seems "hardly probable that the Greeks would have obtained fish from so far as Sardinia at a time relatively so early as that of Aristotle."[11]

The flesh of some sardines or pilchards is a reddish-brown colour similar to some varieties of red sardonyx or sardine stone; this word derives from σαρδῖον (sardĩon) with a root meaning 'red' and possibly cognate with Sardis, the capital of ancient Lydia (now western Turkey) where it was obtained. However, the name may refer to the reddish-pink colour of the gemstone sard (or carnelian) known to the ancients.[12][13]

The phrase "packed like sardines" (in a tin) is recorded from 1911.[11] The phrase "packed up like sardines" appears in The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction from 1841,[14] and is a translation of "encaissés comme des sardines", which appears in La Femme, le mari, et l'amant from 1829.[15] Other early appearances of the idiom are "packed together ... like sardines in a tin-box" (1845),[16] and "packed ... like sardines in a can" (1854).[17]

Genera

Sardines occur in several genera.

Although they are not true sardines, sprats are sometimes marketed as sardines. For example, the european sprat, Sprattus sprattus, is sometimes marketed as the 'brisling sardine'.

Species

Commercially significant species
Genus Common name Scientific name Max. length Typ. length Max. mass Max. age
years		 Trophic
level		 Fish-
Base		 FAO ITIS IUCN
status
cm in cm in g oz
Sardina European pilchard Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) 27.5 10.8 20.0 7.9 15 3.05 [18] [19] [20] Least Concern
[21]
Sardinops South American pilchard Sardinops sagax (Jenyns, 1842) 39.5 15.6 20.0 7.9 490 17 25 2.43 [22] [23] [24] Least Concern
[25]
Japanese pilchard[note 1] Sardinops melanostictus (Schlegel, 1846) [27] [28] [29]
Californian pilchard[note 1] Sardinops caeruleus (Girard, 1854) [30] [31] [32]
southern African pilchard[note 1] Sardinops ocellatus (Pappe, 1854) [33] [34] [35]
Sardinella Bali sardinella Sardinella lemuru (Bleeker, 1853) 23 9.1 20 7.9 [36] [37] [38] Near Threatened
[39]
Brazilian sardinella Sardinella brasiliensis (Steindachner, 1879) 3.10 [40] [41] [42] Data Deficient
[43]
Japanese sardinella Sardinella zunasi (Bleeker, 1854) 3.12 [44] [45] [46] Least Concern
[47]
Indian oil sardine Sardinella longiceps (Valenciennes, 1847) 2.41 [48] [49] [50] Least Concern
[51]
Goldstripe sardinella Sardinella gibbosa (Bleeker, 1849) 2.85 [52] [53] [54] Least Concern
[55]
Round sardinella Sardinella aurita (Valenciennes, 1847) 3.40 [56] [57] [58] Least Concern
[59]
Madeiran sardinella Sardinella maderensis (Lowe, 1839) 3.20 [60] [61] [62] Vulnerable
[63]
Marquesan sardinella Sardinella marquesensis (Berry & Whitehead, 1968) 16 6.3 10 3.9 2.90 [64] Least Concern
Dussumieria Rainbow sardine Dussumieria acuta (Valenciennes, 1847) 20 7.9 3.40 [65] [66] [67] Least Concern
[68]
  1. 1 2 3 There are four distinct stocks in the genus Sardinops, widely separated by geography. The FAO treats these stocks as separate species, while FishBase treats them as one species, Sardinops sagax.[26]

Feeding

Sardines feed almost exclusively on zooplankton, (lit. "animal plankton"), and congregate wherever this is abundant.

Fisheries

Global capture of sardines in tonnes reported by the FAO
Sardines of the genus Sardinops, 1950–2010[1]
Sardines not of the genus Sardinops, 1950–2010[1]

Typically, sardines are caught with encircling nets, particularly purse seines. Many modifications of encircling nets are used, including traps or fishing weirs. The latter are stationary enclosures composed of stakes into which schools of sardines are diverted as they swim along the coast. The fish are caught mainly at night, when they approach the surface to feed on plankton. After harvesting, the fish are submerged in brine while they are transported to shore.

Sardines are commercially fished for a variety of uses: for bait; for immediate consumption; for drying, salting, or smoking; and for reduction into fish meal or oil. The chief use of sardines is for human consumption, but fish meal is used as animal feed, while sardine oil has many uses, including the manufacture of paint, varnish, and linoleum.

French sardine seiner

As food

Exhibit of a woman canning sardines at the Maine State Museum in Augusta; sardines are a component of the economy of Maine.

Sardines are commonly consumed by humans. Fresh sardines are often grilled, pickled, smoked, or preserved in cans.

Sardines are rich in vitamins and minerals.[69] A small serving of sardines once a day can provide 13% of vitamin B2; roughly one-quarter of niacin; and about 150% of the recommended daily value of vitamin B12.[70] Sardines are high in the minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and potassium, and some trace minerals including iron and selenium.[71]

Sardines are also a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids, which may reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular disease.[72] Regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease.[73] These fatty acids can also lower blood sugar levels.[74]

Because they are low in the food chain, sardines are very low in contaminants, such as mercury, relative to other fish commonly eaten by humans.[75]

History

History of sardine fishing in the UK

Pilchard fishing and processing became a thriving industry in Cornwall, England from around 1750 to around 1880, after which it went into decline. Catches varied from year to year, and in 1871, the catch was 47,000 hogsheads, while in 1877, only 9,477 hogsheads. A hogshead contained 2,300 to 4,000 pilchards, and when filled with pressed pilchards, weighed 476 lbs. The pilchards were mostly exported to Roman Catholic countries such as Italy and Spain, where they are known as fermades. The chief market for the oil was Bristol, where it was used on machinery.[76]

Since 1997, sardines from Cornwall have been sold as 'Cornish sardines', and since March 2010, under EU law, Cornish sardines have Protected Geographical Status.[77] The industry has featured in numerous works of art, particularly by Stanhope Forbes and other Newlyn School artists.

The traditional "Toast to Pilchards" refers to the lucrative export of the fish to Catholic Europe:

Here's health to the Pope, may he live to repent
And add just six months to the term of his Lent
And tell all his vassals from Rome to the Poles,
There's nothing like pilchards for saving their souls![78]

History of sardine fishing in the United States

In the United States, the sardine canning industry peaked in the 1950s. Since then, the industry has been on the decline. The canneries in Monterey Bay, in what was known as Cannery Row in Monterey County, California (where John Steinbeck's novel of the same name was set), failed in the mid-1950s. The last large sardine cannery in the United States, the Stinson Seafood plant in Prospect Harbor, Maine, closed its doors on 15 April 2010 after 135 years in operation.[79]

In April 2015 the Pacific Fishery Management Council voted to direct NOAA Fisheries Service to halt the current commercial season in Oregon, Washington and California, because of a dramatic collapse in Pacific sardine stocks. The ban affected about 100 fishing boats with sardine permits, although far fewer were actively fishing at the time. The season normally would end 30 June.[80] The ban was expected to last for more than a year, and was still in place as of May 2019.[81]

The manner in which sardines can be packed in a can has led to the popular English language saying "packed like sardines", which is used metaphorically to describe situations where people or objects are crowded closely together.[82]

'Sardines' is also the name of a children's game, where one person hides and each successive person who finds the hidden one packs into the same space until only one is left out, who becomes the next one to hide.[83]

Among the residents of the Mediterranean city of Marseille, the local tendency to exaggerate is linked to a folk tale about a sardine that supposedly blocked the city's port in the 18th century. It was actually blocked by a ship called the Sartine.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture – FI fact sheet search". fao.org. Archived from the original on 8 May 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "What's an oily fish?". Food Standards Agency. 24 June 2004. Archived from the original on 10 December 2010.
  3. ↑ "Sardine | Origin and meaning of sardine by Online Etymology Dictionary". etymonline.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  4. ↑ "Sardine". The Good Food Glossary. BBC Worldwide. 2009. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
  5. ↑ "Sarda, Sardina". Dizionario Etimologico Online.
  6. ↑ "FAQs". Seafish. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  7. ↑ Stummer, Robin (17 August 2003). "Who are you calling pilchard? It's 'Cornish sardine' to you..." The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 September 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
  8. ↑ "Codex standard for canned sardines and sardine-type products codex stan 94 –1981 REV. 1–1995" (PDF). Codex Alimentarius. FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. pp. 1–7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 March 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2007.
  9. ↑ "sardine". Wiktionary. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "σαρδίνη". The Online Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon. Archived from the original on 12 May 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  11. 1 2 "sardine (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  12. ↑ This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Sard". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
  13. ↑ "Sardius, Sardine". Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words (1940), hosted at StudyLight.org. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  14. ↑ "The Cottage Bonnet". The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction: Containing Original Papers (1075): 155. 4 September 1841.
  15. ↑ de Kock, Paul (1879) [1829]. La femme, le mari, et l'amant (in French). Sceaux, Paris: Imprimerie de Charaire et fils. p. 1.
  16. ↑ Lippard, George (1849) [1845]. The Quaker City, Or, The Monks of Monk-Hall: A Romance of Philadelphia Life, Mystery, and Crime. Philadelphia: T. B. Peterson & Brothers. p. 222.
  17. ↑ Canot, Théodore (September 1854). Mayer, Brantz (ed.). "Revelations of a slave trader; or Twenty years' adventures of Captain Canot". London: Richard Bentley. p. 61., although this is a free rendering from the French original "...il fallut...les entassér commes des sardines." (Canot, Théodore (1860) [1854]. Le capitaine Canot, ou vingt années de la vie d'un négrier (in French). Paris: Amyot. p. 88.) where 'entassér' can mean 'to cram together.
  18. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Sardina pilchardus" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  19. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Sardina pilchardus". FAO. Archived from the original on 25 July 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  20. ↑ "Sardina pilchardus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  21. ↑ Tous P, Sidibé A, Mbye E, de Morais L, Camara YH, Adeofe TA, Munroe T, Camara K, Cissoko K, Djiman R, Sagna A, Sylla M (2015). "European Pilchard – Sardina pilchardus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T198580A15542481. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T198580A15542481.en.
  22. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Sardinops sagax" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  23. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Sardinops sagax". FAO. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  24. ↑ "Sardinops sagax". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  25. ↑ Gaughan D, Di Dario F, Hata H (2018). "Sardinops sagax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T183347A15602965. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  26. ↑ Grant, W. S.; et al. (1998). "Why restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of mitochondrial DNA failed to resolve sardine (Sardinops) biogeography: insights from mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b sequences". Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 55 (12): 2539–47. doi:10.1139/f98-127.
  27. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Sardinops melanostictus" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  28. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Sardinops melanostictus". FAO. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  29. ↑ "Sardinops melanostictus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  30. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Sardinops caeruleus" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  31. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Sardinops caeruleus". FAO. Archived from the original on 14 December 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  32. ↑ "Sardinops caeruleus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  33. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Sardinops ocellatus" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  34. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Sardinops ocellatus". FAO. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  35. ↑ "Sardinops ocellatus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  36. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Sardinella lemuru" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  37. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Sardinella lemuru". FAO. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  38. ↑ "Sardinella lemuru". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  39. ↑ Santos M (2018). "Bali sardinella – Sardinella lemuru". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T75154879A75154994. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  40. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Sardinella brasiliensis" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  41. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Sardinella brasiliensis". FAO. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  42. ↑ "Sardinella brasiliensis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  43. ↑ Di Dario F (2018). "Brazilian Sardinella – Sardinella brasiliensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T16466246A16510172. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  44. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Sardinella zunasi" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  45. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Sardinella zunasi". FAO. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  46. ↑ "Sardinella zunasi". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  47. ↑ Hata H, Munroe TA, Gaughan D, Mohd Arshaad W (2017). "Sardinella zunasi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T75155119A75155131. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T75155119A75155131.en.
  48. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Sardinella longiceps" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  49. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Sardinella longiceps". FAO. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  50. ↑ "Sardinella longiceps". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  51. ↑ Munroe TA; Priede IG (2010). "Sardinella longiceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T154989A55159768. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T154989A55159768.en. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  52. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Sardinella gibbosa" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  53. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Sardinella gibbosa". FAO. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  54. ↑ "Sardinella gibbosa". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  55. ↑ Santos M, Villarao MC, Tambihasan AM, Villanueva JA, Parido L, Lopez G, Deligero R, Alcantara M, Doyola MC, Gatlabayan LV, Buccat FGA, Lanzuela N, Belga PB, Gapuz AV, Al-Khalaf K, Kaymaram F (2018). "Goldstripe Sardinella – Sardinella gibbosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T46075248A46664239. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  56. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Sardinella aurita" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  57. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Sardinella aurita". FAO. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  58. ↑ "Sardinella aurita". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  59. ↑ Munroe T, Brown J, Aiken KA, Grijalba Bendeck L (2017) [errata version of 2015 assessment]. "Round Sardinella – Sardinella aurita". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T198581A115340607. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T198581A15542908.en.
  60. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Sardinella maderensis" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  61. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Sardinella maderensis". FAO. Archived from the original on 14 December 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  62. ↑ "Sardinella maderensis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  63. ↑ Tous P, Sidibé A, Mbye E, de Morais L, Camara K, Munroe T, Adeofe TA, Camara YH, Djiman R, Sagna A, Sylla M (2015). "Madeiran Sardinella – Sardinella madeirensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T198582A15543624. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T198582A15543624.en.
  64. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2021). "Sardinella marquesensis" in FishBase. August 2021 version.
  65. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Dussumieria acuta" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  66. ↑ "Species Fact Sheet: Dussumieria acuta". FAO. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  67. ↑ "Dussumieria acuta". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  68. ↑ Santos M, Hata H, Villanueva JA, Parido L, Lanzuela N, Gapuz AV, Deligero R, Belga PB, Alcantara M, Buccat FGA, Doyola MC, Gatlabayan LV, Lopez G, Tambihasan AM (2017). "Hasselt's Sprat – Dussumieria acuta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T18124721A46663954. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T18124721A46663954.en.
  69. ↑ "Fish, sardine, Pacific, canned in tomato sauce, drained solids with bone". USDA FoodData Central. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  70. ↑ "Are Sardines a Good Source of Calcium?". LiveStrong. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  71. ↑ Nast, Condé (8 January 2024). "This Ingredient Has More Vitamin D Than Milk, Is Anti-Inflammatory, and Prevents Hair Loss". Vogue. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  72. ↑ Kris-Etherton; Harris, WS; Appel, LJ; American Heart Association. Nutrition Committee; et al. (November 2002). "Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Cardiovascular Disease". Circulation. 106 (21): 2747–2757. doi:10.1161/01.CIR.0000038493.65177.94. PMID 12438303.
  73. ↑ Gómez-Pinilla, Fernando (1 July 2008). "Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function". Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 9 (7): 568–578. doi:10.1038/nrn2421. PMC 2805706. PMID 18568016.
  74. ↑ "Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid: MedlinePlus Supplements". Archived from the original on 8 February 2006. Retrieved 22 January 2010. Fish oil supplements may lower blood sugar levels a small amount. Caution is advised when using herbs or supplements that may also lower blood sugar. Blood glucose levels may require monitoring, and doses may need adjustment.
  75. ↑ "Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish". U S Food and Drug Administration. 5 July 2009. Archived from the original on 24 October 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
  76. ↑ Buckland, Frank (26 February 1880). "Our Fisheries". The Cornishman. No. 85. p. 6.
  77. ↑ "Directory of PGI/PDO/TSG – Cornish Sardines profile". EC, Agriculture and Rural Development. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  78. ↑ Rawe, Donald R (1992). Traditional Cornish Stories and Rhymes. Lodenek Press. ISBN 0-902899-08-2.
  79. ↑ Canfield, Clarke (15 April 2010). "Last sardine plant in U.S. shuts its doors". Associated Press. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  80. ↑ "Feds Cancel Commercial Sardine Fishing After Stocks Crash". North Country Public Radio, St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  81. ↑ "Pacific Sardine". NOAA Fisheries. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  82. ↑ "packed like sardines | Definition of packed like sardines in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  83. ↑ "Stinky Sardine Club – ITPedia". Itpedia.nyu.edu. 9 April 2010. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2012.

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