Sardines or pilchards are a group of several types of small oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. The terms are not precise, and the usual meanings vary by region; for instance, to many people a "sardine" is a young European pilchard . (FishBase's list of common names shows at least six species called just "pilchard", over a dozen called just "sardine", and many more with the two basic names qualified by various adjectives.)

Canned "sardines" seen in supermarkets may actually be sprats or round herrings .

Genus Dussumeria

• Rainbow sardine Dussumieria acuta
• Slender rainbow sardine Dussumieria elopsoides

Genus Escualosa

• Slender white sardine Escualosa elongata
• White sardine Escualosa thoracata

Genus Sardina

• European pilchard (true sardine) Sardina pilchardus

Genus Sardinella

• Round sardinella (gilt sardine, Spanish sardine) Sardinella aurita

Genus Sardinops

• South American pilchard (Pacific sardine, California sardine, Chilean sardine) Sardinops sagax