Spotted sardinella (Amblygaster sirm) is a saltwater, brackish species recorded in Malaysia. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 10–75 m. The main season in Malaysia runs all year.
Scientific name: Amblygaster sirm · Water: Saltwater, Brackish · Season: All year
Size: up to 27 cm
Amblygaster sirm, the spotted sardinella, is a small herring-like fish with a rounded silvery body and a distinctive row of dark spots along the flank. It is a reef-associated, schooling planktivore of the Indo-West Pacific, and in Malaysia it is one of the most abundant inshore bait-and-food fishes on both coasts. Commercially it is landed by purse seiners off the Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang coast on the east side and off Selangor, Perak and Penang on the west, and it is a staple of wet markets and fish-ball stalls. Anglers usually take it on multi-hook sabiki rigs with prawn bits, either from jetties and river mouths or with a light over the water at night; it bites fast and comes in numbers, so it is an easy species for beginners and a handy way to fill the bait box.
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