sardine

a kind of fish – salt or fresh water fish – finned, bony and scaly fish – small with pale colours with a tinge of silver, mostly streamed body and wedge “V” shaped tail; size: anywhere from 4 inches to 16 inches in length, on average 4-6 inches, and weight: from 100 grams to 500 grams – the length and weight ration = 9 inch in length and150 grams in weight (?) (females grow faster than males); feeds on (eats) small fish, zooplankton, plankton and phytoplankton, depending on the species; lives for, on average, 8 years, but some live for 12 years, yet some others live for 25 years; several species (some 21 species (?)) and sub-species found around the world

Some people call these small fish ‘sardine’ and some others say ‘pilchard’; however in general, a small bony fish under 4 inches long is called a ‘sardine’ (about 12 species), and the one longer than 4 inches is called a ‘pilchard’ (about 6 species). Some common fish that are often called ‘sardines’ are: sprats, herrings, mackerel, anchovy, etc.

The young of pilchard fish are also called ‘sardines’.
A group of sardines is called a ‘family’ or ‘school’.

Special Features:

sardines as food

Sardines get their name from ‘Sardinia’, an island of Italy situated in Mediterranean Sea where they used to be plenty in the past!

Whatever species they may belong to, the sardines are a major food source for people and other fish, water animals and the water birds!

The sardines are schooling fish, i.e. large numbers of sardines live together in large groups, called ‘school’ or ‘family’.

The sardines are mostly canned (tinned) and sold in supermarkets. The sardines we buy, canned or fresh in the fish market, may be any of sprat, herring or mackerel fish!!

Though they are high in cholesterol (fat), the sardines are a healthier and cheaper food!

A can (tin) of sardines is a compulsory item in the survival kit!

Figures of Speech:

a tin of sardines/’packed like sardines’

sardine-tin = an awkward-looking slow ship

(a) like sardines

(b) like a tin of sardines [said of people or things that are packed closely; crowded; very tightly together]

(a) packed like sardines

(b) as tight as sardines

(c) as close as sardines (‘close’, in this context, = very near, tight) [said of people or things that are packed closely; crowded; very tightly together]

as safe as a sardine in a tin

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