[2] These fish are present in the Western Atlantic (including the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, West Indies all the way down to Brazil[3] The standard length of these sardinella is around 20 cm.

Some of the features that make them unique include the anterior gillrakers (see List of ichthyology terms) which are curled down on the lower limbs of the second and third gill arches.

They both have 8 rays on the pelvic fin and have 2 fleshy appendages along the outer margin of the gill opening with many scale stripes (striae) on the top of the head.

[3] It is common for retailers to substitute Sardinella brasilensis and closely related species for anchovies in commercial markets.

In order to combat this false advertising scientists are developing an efficient method of testing mitochondrial DNA of these fish using the Polymerase Chain Reaction.