pilchard

Pilchard is a common name for several small, oily fish in the family Clupeidae. The term is most closely associated with Sardina pilchardus, the European pilchard, found in the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean. In everyday usage, pilchard is often used interchangeably with sardine, though some regions reserve pilchard for larger individuals or specific species.

They are small, laterally compressed fish with a silvery body and a bluish-green back. They typically reach 12–18 cm in length, with maximum lengths around 20 cm. They have a high oil content and feed chiefly on plankton, filtered as they swim in large schools near the surface.

Native to temperate waters of the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, pilchards form vast schools in coastal and shelf regions, particularly in upwelling zones and along feeding grounds.

Spawning usually occurs in warmer months along coastal zones; eggs are buoyant and planktonic. They mature quickly, allowing frequent recruitment to populations. Their population dynamics are influenced by ocean conditions and fisheries.

Across Europe and beyond, pilchards are a major species for canning and consumption; fillets and whole fish are sold fresh, frozen, or canned (often as sardines or pilchards in oil). Management measures and quotas exist to maintain stocks.