European sprat

European sprat
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Clupeiformes
Family:	Clupeidae
Genus:	Sprattus
Species:	S. sprattus
Binomial name
Sprattus sprattus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Clupanodon phalerica Risso, 1827 Clupea latulus Cuvier, 1829 Clupea papalina Bonaparte, 1846 Clupea schoneveldii Krøyer, 1846 Clupea sprattus Linnaeus, 1758 Clupea sulinae Antipa, 1904 Meletta vulgaris Valenciennes, 1847 Spratella pumila Valenciennes, 1847 Spratella serdinka Nikolskii, 1923 Spratella sprattus

The European sprat (Sprattus sprattus), also known as bristling, brisling or skipper, is a species of small marine fish in the herring family Clupeidae. Found in European waters, it has silver grey scales and white-grey flesh. Specific seas in which the species occurs include the Irish Sea, Black Sea, Baltic Sea and Sea of the Hebrides. The fish is the subject of fisheries, particularly in Scandinavia, and is made into fish meal, as well as being used for human consumption. The fish has about 12% fat in its flesh and is a source of many vitamins. When used for food it can be canned, salted, fried, grilled, baked, marinated and broiled.

Taxonomy

This fish was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae. He called it Clupea sprattus, but it was later transferred to the genus Sprattus. Three subspecies are recognised; S. sprattus balticus from the Baltic Sea; S. sprattus phalericus from the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Black Seas and S. sprattus sprattus from the eastern Atlantic.

Description

The European sprat is a small fish growing to a maximum length of 16 cm (6.3 in), but more often in the 8 to 12 cm (3 to 5 in) range. It is fairly elongate and somewhat laterally compressed, with a keel-like row of sharp scales along the belly. The lower jaw projects slightly, there are seldom any vomerine teeth on the roof of the mouth and the hind edge of the gill covers is smoothly rounded, without any fleshy protuberances. The dorsal fin has no spines and 13 to 21 soft rays while the anal fin has no spines and 12 to 23 soft rays. The origin of the pelvic fins, which have seven (occasionally eight) soft rays, are immediately below or in front of the origin of the dorsal fin. This fish has a bluish or greenish back and silvery flanks, with no dark spotting.

Distribution

The European sprat is native to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Its range includes the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, southern Norway and Sweden, round the coasts of the British Isles, the Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea. It is a schooling fish and migrates between its winter feeding grounds and its summer breeding grounds. It also makes vertical migrations, rising to near the surface at night to feed.

Ecology

This fish is sometimes parasitised by a copepod, the sprat eye-maggot (Lernaeenicus sprattae) which burrows into its eye and causes loss of visual acuity or even blindness. Heavy infestations can kill the fish.

As food

Young sprats are commonly known as brisling. Canned sprats (usually smoked) are available in many north European countries, including the Baltic states, Scandinavia, Ireland, Germany, Poland and Russia. They are an important Latvian export.

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  Canapés with smoked sprats, common Russian zakuski