Herring vs. Sprat — What's the Difference?

Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, including the Baltic Sea, as well as off the west coast of South America.

Sprat is the common name applied to a group of forage fish belonging to the genus Sprattus in the family Clupeidae. The term also is applied to a number of other small sprat-like forage fish (Clupeoides, Clupeonella, Corica, Ehirava, Hyperlophus, Microthrissa, Nannothrissa, Platanichthys, Ramnogaster, Rhinosardinia, and Stolothrissa).

Any of various silvery fishes of the family Clupeidae, especially the commercially important Clupea harengus of the northern Atlantic Ocean and C. pallasii of the northern Pacific Ocean.

Any of various small marine food fishes of the genus Sprattus, especially S. sprattus of the northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, eaten fresh or smoked and often canned as a sardine. Also called brisling.

A type of small, oily fish of the genus Clupea, often used as food.

Any of various other fishes of the family Clupeidae, such as a young herring.

Fish in the family Clupeidae.

Any of various small, herring-like, marine fish in the genus Sprattus, in the family Clupeidae.

Fish similar to those in genus Clupea, many of those in the order Clupeiformes.

Any of various similar fish of other genera.

One of various species of fishes of the genus Clupea, and allied genera, esp. the common round or English herring (Clupea harengus) of the North Atlantic. Herrings move in vast schools, coming in spring to the shores of Europe and America, where they are salted and smoked in great quantities.

(by extension) Anything petty or insignificant.

Valuable flesh of fatty fish from shallow waters of northern Atlantic or Pacific; usually salted or pickled

A sixpence.

Commercially important food fish of northern waters of both Atlantic and Pacific

A small European herring (Clupea sprattus) closely allied to the common herring and the pilchard; - called also garvie. The name is also applied to small herring of different kinds.

Small fatty European fish; usually smoked or canned like sardines

Small herring processed like a sardine