falkland sprat
Sprattus fuegensis
Schooling sardine of the cold waters of the far south of South America. It serves as food for hake, seabirds and seals, and has little interest for sport fishing.
Also called: sardinha-das-malvinas, sardina austral, sardina fuegina, falkland sprat
- maximum
- 18 cm
who is the falkland sprat
Small sardine of the family Clupeidae, which forms schools in cold coastal waters, from southern Argentina and Chile to Tierra del Fuego and the Falklands. It reaches 18 cm, and the common size is about 15 cm. It is a pelagic fish of coastal and shelf waters that moves around within the sea. It serves as food for hake, seabirds and Patagonian seals. It is caught by commercial fleets and has no sport-fishing interest.
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 falkland sprat.
identification
Dark blue back, silvery-white flanks and belly, and all fins translucent. No dark spots on the flanks. The lower jaw projects slightly, and the gill cover has no bony striae. In schools in cold southern waters, these marks help set it apart from other small sardines.
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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
In Latin America, it occurs in southern Argentina and Chile, down to Tierra del Fuego. Outside the continent, it appears in the Falklands and on the Burdwood Bank.
Habitat: Cold coastal waters, in schools in the water column, from 10 m depth.
rules for the falkland sprat
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.
No danger to the angler. It is a small sardine, caught commercially and of no sport interest, and should be released promptly if returned.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00331, b = 3.04; 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: Sprattus fuegensis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Sprattus fuegensisNames by country and language.