STATUS: LEAST CONCERN

"Sardines are small, silvery, elongated fishes with a single short dorsal fin",  they do not have lateral line, and no scales on the head. Sardines length can be between 15 to 30 centimeters; they feed on plankton; juvenile fish feed on zooplankton like copepod and adults fish feed on phytoplankton. They spawn mainly in spring, with the eggs and, a few days later, the larvae drifting passively until they metamorphose into free-swimming fish. Sardines can live up to 25 years, but because their commercialization they only live from three to five years old. Sardinops sagax's back is blue green color, the flanks are white, and have one to three series of dark spots along the middle. Many Galapagos Island's species depend on sardines for survive like the Galapagos penguin and the blue -footed Booby; thanks to the Humboldt Current there are sardines in the Galapagos Marine Reserve Galapagos penguins prey sardines "Pilchards", so their relationship is as Predator and prey.