Sardines - General Characteristics And Habits, Details About The Three Genera

Sardines are silvery, laterally-flattened fish. They are members of the order Clupeiformes, commonly known as the herring order, and the suborder Clupeoidei. These fish usually live in warm marine waters, are found around the shores of every continent, and are an extremely valuable food fish.

There are four families in the order Clupeiformes. Two of the families contain only a single species; one is the denticle herring and the other is the wolf herring. The third family contains various species of anchovies. The fourth family, the family Clupeidae, is the largest family in the order, containing sardines, true herrings, shads, and menhadens. The sardines are classified in three genera: Sardina, Sardinops, and Sardinella. These genera contain approximately 22 species.