Common name: goldspot herring

Synonyms and Other Names: bluestripe herring, goldspot sardine, fourspot herring

Taxonomy: available through www.itis.gov

Identification: Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus is silvery, blue-green dorsally and silver on the sides and belly (Randall 2003). There are narrow wing-shaped scales beneath normal scales between the head and dorsal fin which distinguish this species from similar looking clupeids (Baldwin 1984). There are a pair of gold spots, one above the other, behind the upper edge of the operculum (Myers 1989).

Size: 14 cm total length (Randall 2003)

Native Range: Indo-Pacific from South Africa and the Red Sea to southern Japan and the Ogasawara Islands, northern Australia and Samoa (Mundy 2005).

Interactive maps: Point Distribution Maps

Ecology: Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus form dense schools near mangroves and above sandy shallows of coastal lagoons during the day and move to deeper water, 1-10 km offshore, at night to feed (Williams and Clarke 1983, Myers 1989, Randall 2003). The majority of their diet is crustacean zooplankton and larval fish (Milton et al. 1994). Reproduction probably occurs year-round, but the primary spawning season in Hawaii is May-July (Williams and Clarke 1983). This is an annual species that grows rapidly and matures at an early age, 5-6 months (Williams and Clarke 1983).

Means of Introduction: According to Randall (1987), this species was likely brought on-board a National Marine Fisheries Service vessel while exploring the Marshall Islands to use as a bait for tuna fishing on the return trip to Hawaii.  Presumably, the remaining fish were dumped into Kewalo Basin, Oahu, when the ship returned to port. 

Status: Established.  The Oahu population has now spread to Lanai and Molokai.

Impact of Introduction: Ironically, the introduction of this species seems to be much more successful than the carefully planned introduction of the Marquesan sardine (Sardinella marquesensis) to the Hawaiian islands.  According to Randall (1987), fishermen blame proliferation of the goldspot herring for reduced stocks of native baitfishes and silversides.

Remarks: In a case of clupeotoxin poisoning, a woman and her cat in Madagascar died after consuming this species (Onuma et al. 1999). Records of other cases of clupeotoxin with H. quadrimaculatus as the causative fish species have been reported in Fiji and the Philippines (Onuma et al. 1999) and Taiwan (Wu et al. 2014).

References: (click for full references)

Baldwin, W.J. 1984. A note on the occurrence of the gold spot herring, Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus (Rüppell) in Hawaii. Pacific Science 38:123-126.

Milton, D.A., S.J.M. Blaber, and N.J.F. Rawlinson. 1994. Diet, prey selection and their energetic relationship to reproduction in the tropical herring Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus in Kiribati, Central Pacific. Marine Ecology Progress Series 103:239-250.

Mundy, B.C. 2005. Checklist of fishes of the Hawaiian Archipelago. Bishop Museum Bulletin in Zoology, Number 6.

Myers, R.F. 1989. Micronesian reef fishes: A practical guide to the identification of the coral reef fishes of the tropical central and western Pacific. Coral Graphics, Guam, USA.

Onuma, Y., M. Satake, T. Ukena, J. Roux, S. Chanteau, N. Rasolofonirina, M. Ratsimaloto, H. Naoki, and T. Yasumoto. 1999. Identification of putative palytoxin as the cause of clupeotoxism. Toxicon 37:55-65.

Randall, J.E. 1987. Introductions of marine fishes to the Hawaiian Islands. Bulletin of Marine Science 41:490-502.

Randall, J.E. 2003. Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific: New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

Williams, V.R., and T.A. Clarke. 1983. Reproduction, growth, and other aspects of the biology of the gold spot herring, Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus (Clupeidae), a recent introduction to Hawaii. Fishery Bulletin 81:587-597.

Wu, M., C. Yang, J. Deng, and K. Wang. 2014. Hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, acute kidney injury, and fatal dysrhythmias after consumption of palytoxin-contaminated goldspot herring. Annals of Emergency Medicine 64:633-636.

Other Resources:

Author: M.E. Brown and P.J. Schofield

Peer Review Date: 5/11/2023

This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information has not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.