This fish was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae. He called it … See more

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 scale… See more

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, … See more

Adult sprats feed on copepods such as Calanus, Pseudocalanus and Temora while juveniles feed on the eggs and larvae of these crustaceans, and on diatoms. Breeding takes place at any time of year but peaks b… See more

There are substantial fisheries for this fish in various parts of its range. It is mostly caught by trawling and is made into fish meal, canned, smoked, and eaten fresh; cooking methods include pan-frying and broiling. It i… See more