Family CLUPEIDAE

Clupeidae

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Introduction

The Clupeidae include about 188 species in 57 genera worldwide (Nelson 2006). In Australian waters, 29 species in 13 genera have been recorded.

Sardines and their relatives live mostly in surface marine waters, usually near the coast. Some species are estuarine and a few, like the Australian species of Nematalosa, are freshwater. All eat plankton and most form large schools, which in some areas of the world, provide the basis for extensive fisheries. Relatively small numbers of freshly caught fish are marketed in Australia. Clupeids have a relatively small mouth with the jaw not extending behind the level of the eye, teeth usually small or absent and abdominal scutes usually present. Maximum standard length is about 60 cm, but most species are much smaller.

The sardines, pilchards, herrings and sprats were reviewed by Whitehead (1985). Other works include a revision of Russian species by Svetovidov (1952), keys to Indo-Pacific genera by Whitehead et al. (1966), a review of Indian species by Whitehead (1973), and a revision of the subfamily Dorosomatinae including Nematalosa by Nelson & Rothman (1973). Wongratana (1983) described a number of new Indo-Pacific species and Whitehead & Bauchot (1986) described the types in Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHP). Munroe et al. (1999) treated many tropical species from Australia. Nelson (1970) considered family relationships, and some authors raise a number of the seven or eight subfamilies to familial status.

Wongratana and Whitehead identified most of the specimens in the Australian Museum and the Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory collections up to 1983, provided unpublished information, and kindly improved the draft of this family account.

General References

Munroe, T.A., Wongratana, T. & Nizinski, M.S. 1999. Family Clupeidae. pp. 1775-1821 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068.

Nelson, G.J. 1970. The hypobranchial apparatus of teleostean fishes of the families Engraulidae and Chirocentridae. American Museum Novitates 2410: 1-30 figs 1-11

Nelson, G.J. & Rothman, M.N. 1973. The species of gizzard shads (Dorosomatinae) with particular reference to the Indo-Pacific region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 150(2): 133-206 figs 1-13

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

Svetovidov, A.N. 1952. Fauna of U.S.S.R. Fishes. (Clupeidae). Zoological Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R ns 48 2(1): 1-331 figs 1-54 pls 1-53 [in Russian]

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1973. A synopsis of the clupeoid fishes of India. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India 14(1): 160-256 figs 1-68 [1972]

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1985. FAO species catalog. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). Part 1 — Chirocentridae, Clupeidae and Pristigasteridae. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 7 Pt 1. pp. 1-303

Whitehead, P.J.P., Boeseman, M. & Wheeler, A.C. 1966. The types of Bleeker's Indo-Pacific elopoid and clupeoid fishes. Zoologische Verhandelingen (Leiden) 84: 1-159 pls 1-19

Whitehead, P.J.P. & Bauchot, M.L. 1985. Catalogue critique des types de poissons du Muséum national d'Histoire Naturelle, (Suite) Ordre des Clupéiforms (Familles des Clupeidae, Engraulididae et Denticipitidae). Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris [published 1907-1971] 7(4 Suppl.): 1-77

Wongratana, T. 1983. Diagnoses of 24 new species and proposal of a new name for a species of Indo-Pacific clupeoid fishes. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 29(4): 385-407 figs 1-25

Common Name References

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [64] (Herrings)

Munroe, T.A., Wongratana, T. & Nizinski, M.S. 1999. Family Clupeidae. pp. 1775-1821 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068. [1775] (FAO) (Herrings, Menhadens, Pilchards, Sardines, Shads, Sprats)

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