Sardines, like the herring, belong to the clupidae family. They swim in shoals and are considered the true nomads of the seas. They feed mainly on tiny crustaceans, fish roe and larvae.
Sardines are very sensitive to temperature. They prefer water temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees and therefore shift their habitat to the north or south according to the season.
Sardines live at depths of up to 60 metres. However, at night they swim closer to the surface and stay overnight at a depth of 15 to 30 metres.
Sardines become sexually mature at an average age of three years. Females lay up to 60,000 eggs which drift in the sea for a few days until the larvae hatch.
Young sardines grow very quickly and have already reached a length of up to eight centimetres after just one year. Sardines grow to a maximum length of about 26 inches. They have a long, slender body. The back is green-blue, and the belly a shiny silver. A characteristic of the sardine is its large silver scales, which are spread along the middle of the body. It has a protruding lower jaw and the fins are relatively small.

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