Annual fish migration off the shores of South Africa
NASA map of the Agulhas Current showing the levels of primary production during 2009. This is a measure of how much food was available for the spawning sardines.
The KwaZulu-Natal sardine run of southern Africa occurs from May through July when billions of sardines, or more specifically the Southern African pilchard, Sardinops sagaxocellatus, spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and move northward along the east coast of South Africa. Their sheer numbers create a feeding frenzy along the coastline.
The run, containing millions of individual sardines, occurs when a current of cold water heads north from the Agulhas Bank up to Mozambique where it then leaves the coastline and goes further east into the Indian Ocean.
In terms of biomass, researchers estimate the sardine run could rival East Africa's great wildebeest migration.[1] However, little is known of the phenomenon. It is believed that the water temperature has to drop below 21 °C in order for the migration to take place. In 2003, the sardines failed to 'run' for the third time in 23 years. While 2005 saw a good run, 2006 marked another non-run.[2]
The shoals are often more than 7 km long, 1.5 km wide and 30 metres deep and are clearly visible from spotter planes or from the surface.
Sardines group together when they are threatened. This instinctual behaviour is a defence mechanism, as lone individuals are more likely to be eaten than when in large groups.
^Marine Scientists Scratch Heads Over Sardines. Reuters. August 30, 2004
^Sardine Run Archived August 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
The KwaZulu-Natal sardinerun of southern Africa occurs from May through July when billions of sardines, or more specifically the Southern African pilchard...
SardinesSardine and pilchard are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term 'sardine' was first...
Sardines ("pilchards") are a nutrient-rich, small, oily fish widely consumed by humans and as forage fish by larger fish species, seabirds and marine mammals...
take place during the African sardinerun. The African sardinerun is a spectacular migration by millions of silvery sardines along the southern coastline...
tourists wishing to observe the annual great SardineRun during the months of June and July. Massive sardine schools migrate from colder waters around the...
take place during the African sardinerun. The African sardinerun is a spectacular migration by millions of silvery sardines along the southern coastline...
Sardinops is a monotypic genus of sardines of the family Alosidae. The only member of the genus is Sardinops sagax. It is found in the Indo-Pacific and...
individuals are more likely to be eaten than an individual in a large group. Sardine bait balls can be 10–20 metres (33–66 ft) in diameter and extend to a depth...
fish Filter feeders Forage fish Migratory Paedophagy Predatory Salmon runSardinerun Scale eaters Schooling fish Sleep Venomous Intelligence By habitat...
between species. Examples of oily fish include small forage fish such as sardines, herring and anchovies, and other larger pelagic fish such as salmon, trout...
of Barbados, cou-cou and flying fish. The taste is close to that of a sardine. Flying fish roe is known as "cau-cau" in southern Peru, and is used to...
been prepared from anchovies (since the 19th century) and others sold as sardines sometimes are prepared from sprats, as the authentic ones once were less...
Bait ball Bait fish Feeder fish Fish migration Filter feeder Food fish Ichthyoplankton Juvenile fish Predator fish Sardinerun Shoaling and schooling...
fish Filter feeders Forage fish Migratory Paedophagy Predatory Salmon runSardinerun Scale eaters Schooling fish Sleep Venomous Intelligence By habitat...
fish Filter feeders Forage fish Migratory Paedophagy Predatory Salmon runSardinerun Scale eaters Schooling fish Sleep Venomous Intelligence By habitat...
fish Filter feeders Forage fish Migratory Paedophagy Predatory Salmon runSardinerun Scale eaters Schooling fish Sleep Venomous Intelligence By habitat...
fish Filter feeders Forage fish Migratory Paedophagy Predatory Salmon runSardinerun Scale eaters Schooling fish Sleep Venomous Intelligence By habitat...
also be found. All along the Konkan coast and Northern Kerala, the roe of sardines, black mackerel and several other fish is considered a delicacy. The roe...
fish Filter feeders Forage fish Migratory Paedophagy Predatory Salmon runSardinerun Scale eaters Schooling fish Sleep Venomous Intelligence By habitat...
fish Filter feeders Forage fish Migratory Paedophagy Predatory Salmon runSardinerun Scale eaters Schooling fish Sleep Venomous Intelligence By habitat...
Global Information