Sardinella species abundantly found in the Philippines have been repeatedly subjected to inconsistent identification. By examining morphological differences over a wide range of fish sizes, these inconsistencies have been clarified. Sardinella gibbosa was clearly distinguishable from those referred to as Sardinella fimbriata by the number of post-pelvic fin scutes, 14-15 vs. 10-13, respectively, for sizes ranging from 61 to 145 mm standard length (SL). Head Depth (%HD) and Body Depth (%BD) relative to SL were also key distinguishing traits. S. fimbriata had a larger %HD (23.1-26.7%) than S. gibbosa (<23%), and a deeper body (%BD: 24.2-33.8%) compared to S. gibbosa (23.4-27.4%), although a slight overlap (24.2-27.2%) occurred among smaller individuals (61-87 mm SL). Most of the morphological traits used in this study increased with fish size, indicating that accurate identification depends on the size range examined. Importantly, all specimens referred to as S. fimbriata displayed morphological traits consistent with Sardinella pacifica , as described by Hata & Motomura (2019). Thus, the study confirms that what has been referred to as S. fimbriata in various fishing grounds in the country should be correctly called S. pacifica . This clarification has significant implications for the sustainable management of sardines in the region.
Felix et al. (Sun,) studied this question.