bristling

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bristling

fish

Also known as: Clupea sprattus, Sprattus sprattus, brisling, sprat

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Also spelled:: Brisling

Also called:: Sprat

Related Topics:: sardine

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bristling, (Sprattus sprattus), edible fish of the herring family Clupeidae (order Clupeiformes). Bristlings are silver-coloured marine fishes that form enormous schools in western European waters. They contribute to the worldwide fishing industry. They are smaller than Atlantic herrings (Clupea harengus), reaching a length of less than 15 cm (6 inches), and so are especially valuable for canning as sardines (a term applied to several small fishes of the family Clupeidae). They are eaten fresh, tinned in oil, pickled, or smoked.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.