The Australian sprat (''Sprattus novaehollandiae'') is a

sprat Sprat is the common name applied to a group of forage fish belonging to the genus ''Sprattus'' in the family Clupeidae. The term also is applied to a number of other small sprat-like forage fish (''Clupeoides'', ''Clupeonella'', '' Corica'', ' ...

fish whose habitat ranges in the waters surrounding

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

including

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. It is a

pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or wa ...

fish which is found in anti-tropical, temperate water. It is apart of the

Clupeidae Clupeidae is a family of ray-finned fishes, comprising, for instance, the herrings, shads, sardines, hilsa, and menhadens. The clupeoids include many of the most important food fishes in the world, and are also commonly caught for production of ...

family. Other members of the Cluepeidae family also include

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, i ...

menhaden Menhaden, also known as mossbunker and bunker and "the most important fish in the sea", are forage fish of the genera ''Brevoortia'' and ''Ethmidium'', two genera of marine fish in the family Clupeidae. ''Menhaden'' is a blend of ''poghaden'' ...

sardines "Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the I ...

as well as shads. It is currently a relative unknown species of Sprat compared to the other members of the family. In total, there are five different types of True

Sprats ''Sprattus'' is a genus of small oily fish of the family Clupeidae. They are more usually known by their common name, sprats. There are five species in the genus. Species * ''Sprattus antipodum'' (Hector, 1872) (New Zealand blueback sprat) * ...

. What makes Australian Sprats different from the rest is their location and appearance. Sprattus Novaehollandiae have a dark blue back and a protruding lower jaw. They are found in the Southern regions of Australian such as lower

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

and

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

were there are colder

climates Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...

. On average, Australian Sprat grown up to 14cm and live in the range of 0-50 meters deep in the ocean. They will lay between 10,000 to 40,000 eggs per year and live for approximately 5-7 years. Other names for the Australian Sprat include

Clupea ''Clupea'' is genus of planktivorous bony fish belonging to the family Clupeidae, commonly known as herrings. They are found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Two main ...

Bassensis and Meletta Novaehollandiae.

Biology

In terms of appearance, Australian

resemble herrings with their elongated body and silver colouration. Interestingly,

vary in size depending on the specific

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

, with the Australian

Sprat Sprat is the common name applied to a group of forage fish belonging to the genus ''Sprattus'' in the family Clupeidae. The term also is applied to a number of other small sprat-like forage fish (''Clupeoides'', ''Clupeonella'', '' Corica'', ' ...

being 14cm long. Specifically, the Australian Sprat has the following fin configuration. 15-18 Anal fin 18-21:

Caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

19:

Pectoral fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...

17-18:

Pelvic fin Pelvic fins or ventral fins are paired fins located on the ventral surface of fish. The paired pelvic fins are homologous to the hindlimbs of tetrapods. Structure and function Structure In actinopterygians, the pelvic fin consists of two en ...

8; Oblique scale rows on side 44. The Australian

has a relatively shallow body giving it an elongated and compressed look with a narrow

caudal peduncle Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

. They also have a smaller head (25-29% SL) with medium sized eyes (27-33% HL). Along its anterior and posterior edges of the eye, it has strips of transparent

adipose tissue Adipose tissue, body fat, or simply fat is a loose connective tissue composed mostly of adipocytes. In addition to adipocytes, adipose tissue contains the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of cells including preadipocytes, fibroblasts, vascular e ...

. Finally, Australian

have a slightly projecting lower jaw with miniature or no teeth. The scales on the Australian

are large,

cycloid In geometry, a cycloid is the curve traced by a point on a circle as it rolls along a straight line without slipping. A cycloid is a specific form of trochoid and is an example of a roulette, a curve generated by a curve rolling on another curve ...

and minimally attached. They cover most of the body except the head.

Etymology

The name Novaehollandiae means New Holland which is the old name used for

. The further breakdown of the

etymology Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...

of the Australian

will be broken down in table form.

Habitat

Overall, this specific

is found in a wide range of

ecosystems An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

. The Australian

is commonly found during the seasonal period of August-November in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. The Australian Sprat is considered a coastal, marine,

estuarine An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

and

species. In coastal regions, they form schools located mostly in deep

bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a narr ...

and

estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

. An

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

is a body of water where the river and the ocean meet. It is where freshwater is drained from the land into the seawater. Estuaries are considered one of the most productive

in the world being a reason why Australian

are found in this location. On the other hand, an abundant level of Australian Sprat are found in bays during the season of August to November. A bay is a body of water surrounded partially by land. Specifically, during the day, sprats will move into deeper water and migrate to shallow regions to source food. Unlike the other

, Australian sprats are found around the colder regions of Australia. They are in both the Indian and

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. More specifically, this ranges from

Port Jackson Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (p ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and down to

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. Although less common, Australian Sprat have been spotted as far as the

Spencer Gulf The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost and larger of two large inlets (the other being Gulf St Vincent) on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. It spans from the Cape Catastrophe and ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

as well as in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Waters. Overall, there is minimal data on the species. Not much is known abouts the total population size, history, and biology. Australian Sprat Region Map

The Australian Sprat is a

fish which is found in antitropical,

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

water. An antitropical distribution occurs when similar species of the same animal are distributed on both the North and South of the tropics yet not within. Interestingly, this antitropical distribution pattern is found for all five species of Sprat. These tropical zones act as a barrier to entry of the Sprattus which limits the dispersion of the Sprattus around the world. Note that only the Sprattus Sprattus is found in the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

around the coast of Europe while three out of the five species of Sprats are found within the oceania region. For the Sprattus to spread from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere of vice versa, it is considered a possibility that it occurred during the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

and

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Sprattus ''Sprattus'' is a genus of small oily fish of the family Clupeidae. They are more usually known by their common name, sprats. There are five species in the genus. Species * ''Sprattus antipodum'' (Hector, 1872) (New Zealand blueback sprat) * ...

migrate Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration * Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another ** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...

to the other hemisphere. It is important to note that there are currently no studies done which examine the origins of the Sprattus, yet species with similar antitropical distribution have been examined extensively. These include

Sardinops ''Sardinops'' is a monotypic genus of sardines of the family Clupeidae. The only member of the genus is ''Sardinops sagax''. It is found in the Indo-Pacific and East Pacific oceans. Its length is up to . It has numerous common or vernacular names ...

Conservation

From a conservation perspective, the Australian

is not a targeted species from fisheries which means there are no major threats and potential impacts to the species. However, more research as well as consistent monitoring is required to ensure this risk evaluation is correct. However, currently the Australian

is of least concern. It is important to note that the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

cannot identify whether the population is increasing or decreasing.

Predatory and prey

Although Australian Sprat are of least concern in terms of

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...

. They are still prey of some animals. They are the known prey of

little penguins The little penguin (''Eudyptula minor'') is a species of penguin from New Zealand. They are commonly known as little blue penguins or blue penguins owing to their slate-blue plumage and are also known by their Māori name . The Australian lit ...

(Eudyptula minor) as well the

Australian Pied Cormorant The Australian pied cormorant (''Phalacrocorax varius''), also known as the pied cormorant, pied shag, or great pied cormorant, is a medium-sized member of the cormorant family. It is found around the coasts of Australasia. In New Zealand, it i ...

(Phalacrocorax varius). Also, the Australian Sprat is a part of the seabird food chain. Further, all Sprattus types are prey of the New Zealand fur seal (''

Arctocephalus forsteri ''Arctocephalus forsteri'' (common names include the Australasian fur seal, South Australian fur seal, New Zealand fur seal, Antipodean fur seal, or long-nosed fur seal) is a species of fur seal found mainly around southern Australia and New Z ...

''). In terms of being a predator, the Australian Sprat is not a predator of any animal. However, it feeds on copepods and plankton. Finally, the Australian Sprats diet remains unchanged throughout their lifetime. Both when they are young as well as adults, Sprats feed on

zooplankton Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community ("zoo" comes from the Greek word for ''animal''). Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents, and consequently drift or are carried along by ...

. Other animals that they prey include fish eggs,

fish larvae Ichthyoplankton (from Greek: ἰχθύς, , "fish"; and πλαγκτός, , "drifter") are the eggs and larvae of fish. They are mostly found in the sunlit zone of the water column, less than 200 metres deep, which is sometimes called the epip ...

copepods Copepods (; meaning "oar-feet") are a group of small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and saltwater habitat. Some species are planktonic (inhabiting sea waters), some are benthic (living on the ocean floor), a number of species have p ...

as well as

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) that are unable to propel themselves against a Ocean current, current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankt ...

Taxonomy

Note that Australian Sprat samples have been impossible to obtain regarding taxon sampling.

Cooking and food

Note there is minimal human interaction and Sprats for a variety of reason. However, humans use Sprats to create fishmeal or for their own personal consumption. The Australian Sprat is a small oily fish which possesses an abundance of

nutrients A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi, and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excret ...

. In terms of

seafood Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...

, it is considered one of the most nutritious varieties. To be preserved, it is smoked and then placed into a can of either oil or brine. Many people enjoy the smoky flavour and will use the sprat is a variety of different dishes and

cuisines A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to e ...

. There are many ways which sprats can be cooked and consumed. Sprats can be cooked in the pan with salt, pepper, and lemon juice on toast. Another option is having a whole sprat on toast with egg is also a good meal. Finally, Sprats can also be placed into a

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables and ...

depending upon the season. Overall, the sprat can be eaten either fresh, fry, broil, grill, bake, smoke or salted. The following are a list of nutrition facts for sprats per 100 grams. One of the major benefits of adding Australian Sprats to your diet is the large amounts of

Omega-3 Omega−3 fatty acids, also called Omega-3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or ''n''−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond, three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their chem ...

it has. The Omega-3 comes in two forms, EPA (

Eicosapentaenoic acid Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; also icosapentaenoic acid) is an omega-3 fatty acid. In physiological literature, it is given the name 20:5(n-3). It also has the trivial name timnodonic acid. In chemical structure, EPA is a carboxylic acid with a 20-c ...

) and DHA (

Docosahexaenoic acid Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that is a primary structural component of the human brain, cerebral cortex, skin, and retina. In physiological literature, it is given the name 22:6(n-3). It can be synthesized from alpha-lino ...

) which are both the most bio-available form of

is considered an essential fatty acid for a healthy diet and has many added health benefits.

positively impacts the body through its

anti-inflammatory Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs remedy pain by reducing inflammation as o ...

benefits. It also helps the

cardiovascular system The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...

, whilst lowering

blood pressure Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term "blood pressure" r ...

and

triglyceride A triglyceride (TG, triacylglycerol, TAG, or triacylglyceride) is an ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids (from ''tri-'' and ''glyceride''). Triglycerides are the main constituents of body fat in humans and other vertebrates, as w ...

levels. Australian Sprat are also a great source of Vitamin D with 100g of Sprat being 15% of recommended daily intake. Vitamin D benefits the body by protecting the immune, nervous and

skeletal system A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of an animal. There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside ...

. It is also a source of Vitamin B12 which plays in energy production as well as DNA and red bloody cell production. One of the main problems with consuming too many large fish is the high mercury content which they have. The Australian Sprat is low in the food chain compared to larger animals which means that they don’t accumulate much mercury through their diet. Other larger fish in the food chain eat a collection of smaller fish which contain small amount of

mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

individually which can collectively become an issue. Studies have shown that mercury content in sprats are low. The issue of adding sprats to your diet is the purine content. The purine content is sprats is high. Too much purine can affect the body due to the breakdown of

purine Purine is a heterocyclic compound, heterocyclic aromatic organic compound that consists of two rings (pyrimidine and imidazole) fused together. It is water-soluble. Purine also gives its name to the wider class of molecules, purines, which includ ...

in uric acid in the body.

Reproduction and threats to reproduction

The Australian Sprat takes approximately 15 days from fertilisation to hatching. The process of reproduction and breeding for a sprat is via spawning. This is the process where eggs are fertilised outside of the body. The female sprats release their eggs into the warm water and the male releases sperm to fertilise them. Some of the long terms threats to reproduction include climate change, over-fishing and pollution.

References

* * Sprattus Marine fish of Eastern Australia Marine fish of Southern Australia Marine fish of Tasmania Fauna of Victoria (Australia) Fish described in 1847 {{Clupeiformes-stub