Common name: European sprat

Japanese name: ヨーロピアンスプラット

Scientific name: Sprattus sprattus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Nigiri sushi detail: European sprat Nigiri sushi

Characteristics:

European sprat is found in European, West Asian, and North African waters, it has silver-grey scales and white-grey flesh. It lives at depths of 10~150 m. Sprat species are not found in Japan. It is a small fish growing to a maximum length of 16 cm, but more often in the 8 to 12 cm range. It is fairly elongated and somewhat laterally compressed, with a keel-like row of sharp scales along the belly. In Japan, it is falsely named Baltic sardine.

When used for food it can be canned, salted, breaded, fried, boiled, grilled, baked, deep fried, marinated, broiled, and smoked. It is sometimes used as a substitute fish for Iwashi, but still at a rare level. It is too fatty to be used as sushi topping, so it is not for everyone.