Saturday, June 15, 2013

Pacific Sardines

Pacific Sardines, Sardinops sagax, swimming in a tight ball.  This sardine species is found as far South as Chile and on up the Eastern Pacific to Alaska.  They are known to breed off of the Southern California coast peaking in April and May.  Sardines are primarily plankton feeders, largely feeding upon small copepods and crustaceans (probably the source of the alpha omega oils that concentrate in the sardines).  In turn, sardines are a significant food source for a broad variety of birds, mammals and fish.

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