Black Sea Sprat

The Black Sea sprat or Pontic sprat, Clupeonella cultriventris, is a small fish of the herring family, Clupeidae. It is found in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov and rivers of its basins: Danube, Dnister, Dnipro (Ukraine), Southern Bug, Don, Kuban. It has white-grey flesh and silver-grey scales. A typical size is 10 cm (3.9 in), maximum 15 cm (5.9 in). The life span is up to 5 years. The peak of its spawning is in April and it can be found in enormous shoals in sea-shores, filled all-round coastal shallows, moving quickly back into the sea at a depth of 6–30 metres (20–98 ft). Used for food; it has around 12% fat in flesh.

It is one of the most abundant fishes in the Sea of Azov. It is important prey for other fishes, particularly the pikeperch.