dwarf round herring
Jenkinsia lamprotaenia
Small sardine of coastal and Caribbean and Central American reef schools, used mainly as live bait for tunas and mackerel.
Also called: sardinha-anã, manjúa, mijúa, dwarf herring
- maximum
- 8 cm
- depth
- 0–50 m
who is the dwarf round herring
Small sardine of the family Spratelloididae, reaching 7.5 cm. It lives in schools, generally near the coast and shallow reefs, from the surface down to 50 m deep. It feeds on zooplankton, small animals that float in the water, and is food for many larger fish and squid. It occurs from the Gulf of Mexico and Florida to the Caribbean, and to Tobago. It has small commercial fishing. Its main value for anglers is as live bait for tunas and mackerel.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the dwarf round herring.
identification
Small sardine, spindle-shaped with an oval cross-section, slightly greenish on the back. A silvery lateral band runs along the flanks without narrowing near the gills. Between the belly fins is a W-shaped scute, and the chest has a slight keel. The anal fin is small. To recognize it, look at the silvery band and the belly scute.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Occurs in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America, to Venezuela and Tobago.
Habitat: Coastal and shallow-reef schools, from the surface to 50 m deep.
rules for the dwarf round herring
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Not dangerous to anglers. Its importance for anglers lies in being live bait for tunas and mackerel.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00692, b = 3.26; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Jenkinsia lamprotaenia (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Jenkinsia lamprotaeniaNames by country and language.