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Species · Inshore

Spanish Sardine

Sardinella aurita

Rules in 0 state rulebooks, checked Sep 22, 2026. Every rule names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

Studio photograph of a Spanish Sardine (Sardinella aurita), side view, on a white background

How to tell it

Slim, round-bodied silver sardine with a blue-green back and no spots or threads at all.

Often mistaken for

Two fish that get called Spanish sardine, and what gives each one away.

Rules for

Every state

StateSizeBagSeasonToday

Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).

On the table

Bait; canned commercially.

Related fish

Side by side: Spanish Sardine vs Round Scad, Spanish Sardine vs Scaled Sardine.

In the app

Point the camera at a Spanish sardine and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.

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Questions anglers ask about Spanish sardine

How do you tell Spanish sardine from scaled sardine?

Spanish Sardine: Slim, round-bodied silver sardine with a blue-green back and no spots or threads at all. Scaled sardine: deeper body, shoulder spot.