catalog Clupeidae · forage fish

atlantic thread herring

Opisthonema oglinum

Sea

Large sardine with a filament on the dorsal fin, widely used as live bait and on the table. Forms schools in bays and along the coast, from the North to Santa Catarina.

Also called: sardinha-laje, sardinha-bandeira, sardinha-de-galha, sardinha-azul, manjubão

forecast for atlantic thread herring where found

Scientific illustration of Atlantic thread herring

common size: 15–25 cm
maximum: 38 cm
common weight: 0.0–0.1 kg
record/max.: 0.4 kg
depth: 1–50 m
ideal water: 22–28 °C

overview

who is the atlantic thread herring

The Atlantic thread herring (sardinha-laje) is a coastal clupeid that forms large schools in bays, ports and shallow water. It filters plankton, but also eats small fish, crabs and shrimp. It is recognized by the long, filamentous last dorsal ray, which gives it the names sardinha-bandeira and sardinha-de-galha. It is caught with purse seines and nets by artisanal and industrial fishing and sold fresh, frozen and salted, and also turned into meal. For recreational anglers, it is prime live bait for king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, crevalle jack, greater amberjack and snook, caught with a sabiki or cast net. It is also good to eat.

fun facts

The filament on the dorsal fin gives the names sardinha-bandeira and sardinha-de-galha.
It is one of the most used live baits for king mackerel and Spanish mackerel fishing.

how to recognize it

identification

Compressed, silver body with a blue-green back and six or seven thin dark lines along the upper flank; dark spot behind the gill cover, sometimes followed by a row of dots. The last dorsal ray is long and filamentous, which separates it from the true sardine (Sardinella brasiliensis) and the cascuda sardine (Harengula).

how atlantic thread herring fishing looks

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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.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

From Amapá to Santa Catarina, in bays, ports and shallow coastal waters.

Habitat: Bays, ports, coves and shallow coastal waters; schools at the surface and midwater; avoids low-salinity water.

coast

North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastcoastal

states

Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Oct–Apr

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

In the Southeast and South, schools come closer in warm months.

best time of day

Daytime. Schools are active by day; at night they concentrate under the light of piers and boats.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the atlantic thread herring
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Cold water keeps schools away from the coast.

atmospheric pressure

Not very sensitive.

moon

With no moon, pier light draws more schools at night.

rain

Very murky water keeps schools away.

water level

Avoids the fresh water of floods.

noise

The school scatters at noise but comes back with chum.

wind

Choppy sea scatters the schools.

tide

The flood tide brings schools into the bays.

depth

From the surface to about 10 m.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Caniço (cane pole)Natural bait with float

rod: light rod 6'0" to 8'0" or cane pole
spinning / baitcasting reel: spinning reel 1000 to 3000
line: monofilament 0.20 to 0.25 mm
leader: sabiki (feather rig) number 8 to 12
hook: sabiki hooks or maruseigo 12 to 14

lures

sabiki

natural baits

ground sardine chum

accessories

aerated bucket or livewell
cast net (where permitted)

tip from an angler

For live bait, put it in the livewell right away and don't squeeze it: sardines lose scales and die fast.

what the law says

rules for the atlantic thread 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.
Conservation: Not on the national list (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026). Minimum size of 15 cm from ES to RS (IN MMA 53/2005).

Minimum size 15 cm (ES to RS)

15 cm (TL)ESRJSPPRSCRSSoutheast CoastSouth Coast

On the coast from ES to RS it is banned to fish for, keep on board or land Atlantic thread herring (sardinha-laje) under 15 cm total length. The 20% tolerance of the catch (by weight) provided in the rule is for enforcement at landings; recreational anglers must release the small ones. The rule does not apply to trawling.

Source: IN MMA nº 53/2005, Annex II (sardinha-laje / Atlantic thread herring, Opisthonema oglinum)

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.

Very fragile: if you're not going to use it, put it back right away without holding it with a dry hand.

in the kitchen

Good fried, grilled over coals or escabeche; also salted.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.00851, b = 3.06; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

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sources and references

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.

scientific FishBase — Opisthonema oglinum (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 — Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked on October 13, 2026).
official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Opisthonema oglinum (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
scientific IUCN Red List — Opisthonema oglinum (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 23/08/2012)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
official Instrução Normativa MMA nº 53, de 22 de novembro de 2005 — tamanho mínimo de captura de espécies marinhas e estuarinas do litoral Sudeste e SulText reproduced from the DOU of Nov 24, 2005, checked on Oct 13, 2026. Annex II; § 2 of art. 2 (exemption in competitions) was revoked by IN MMA nº 3/2006.
scientific Whitehead, P. J. P. (1985). FAO species catalogue. Vol. 7. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). Part 1. FAO Fisheries Synopsis 125(7/1). Roma: FAO.
scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 2: Bony fishes part 1 (Acipenseridae to Grammatidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Clupeidae chapter (Munroe, T. A.; Nizinski, M. S.), cited by FishBase for the species.
scientific Menezes, N. A.; Buckup, P. A.; Figueiredo, J. L.; Moura, R. L. (orgs.) (2003). Catálogo das espécies de peixes marinhos do Brasil. São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia da USP. 160 p.List of marine species recorded in Brazil. Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record in FishBase, which cites this work for the species.