Ramnogaster arcuata (Jenyns, 1842)
Jenyns's sprat
photo by FAO

Family:  Clupeidae (Herrings, shads, sardines, menhadens)
Max. size:  9 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  pelagic-neritic; marine; depth range 0 - 50 m
Distribution:  Southwest Atlantic: southern Brazil (estuary of the Lagoa dos Patos) and Uruguay to at least Bahía Blanca, Argentina; some of the more southerly records (even to the Beagle Channel) must refer to Sprattus fuegensis.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 18-19; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 12-23. Belly sharply keeled. Flanks silvery without a distinct silver stripe (cf. Platanichthys). Distinguished from R. melanostoma of freshwaters by having more dorsal and pectoral fin rays and total gill rakers; from small Sardinella and Harengula by the evenly rounded hind margin of the gill opening; and from Sprattus fuegensis by having i 6 pelvic fin rays.
Biology:  Forms schools in coastal waters, apparently inshore but not entering freshwater.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 06 March 2017 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 


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