Bigeye Kilka

Body moderately slender; head long and narrow; belly sharply keeled, with 26 to 32 scutes; pectoral fin tips rounded; last two anal fin rays enlarged; pterotic bulla absent; no notch at the center of the upper jaw.

Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 21; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 12 - 23

Feeds on fish and zooplankton (Ref. 188). In open sea, not approaching shores; in winter found mainly in southern part, migrating to middle parts of sea in spring (especially the eastern half), returning south in November - December; occurs in upper layers in March - April, but descend to 16 to 32 m in summer and autumn.

Schools in the open sea, not approaching shores. Occurs mainly in the south in winter, migrating to the middle parts of the sea in spring and returning south in November-December. Found in upper layers in March-April, but descends to 16 to 32 m in summer and autumn. Feeds mainly on copepods, also pelagic mysids and small fishes. Breeds in January-September intermittently in the open sea. Stocks said to be depleted in southern part of Caspian Sea.

fisheries: minor commercial

Southern Caspian sprat, Clupeonella grimmi, is a species of fish in the family Clupeidae. It is found in the brackishwater Caspian Sea, in its central and southern parts in the pelagic zone. It is a small fish, typically 11 cm length, and up to 14.5 cm maximum. Occurs not deeper that 32 m depth.