Pacific sardines

Japanese name

 * iwashi

About Pacific sardines
The Pacific sardine is a member of the herring family and “sardine” is often the name given to young herring. It is a small pelagic fish with an iridescent, silvery body and a single dorsal fin located over the middle of the body. The linear bony ridges on its gill cover distinguish this species from other members of the herring family. While Pacific sardines can grow to 35.5 cm (14 inches) long and weigh between 100 grams (4 ounces) and 500 grams (1 lb), in 2001 the harvested sardines in British Columbia, weighed an average of 150 grams (⅓ lb) and measured an average standard length of 23 cm (9 inches). The flesh of the sardine is pink in colour and has a fine, soft texture. With a high fat content, it has a stronger and heavier flavour than whitefish species.