Surf Sprite
Iso natalensis
- Usual depth1–10 m
- Water temperature18–28 °C
- Best monthsMay
- How commonRare
About this species
Iso is an Indo-Pacific genus of silversides, commonly called surf sardines, the only genus in the monogeneric family Isonidae, they were formerly classified in the family Notocheiridae alongside the surf silverside but they are now thought to be within the suborder Atherinoidei while the surf silverside is classified in the suborder Atherinopsoidei, along with the Neotropical silversides. It contains five species to date, the first of which was described in 1895.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Iso (fish)”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
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Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 2 records
- February: 5 records
- March: 2 records
- April: 2 records
- May: 9 records
- June: 1 records
- July: 2 records
- August: 2 records
- September: 3 records
- October: 5 records
- November: 5 records
- December: 2 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 1–10 m · Deepest record: 10 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 18–28 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Surf Sprite, Surfy
Other scientific names: Iso nataliensis
Similar species
Flower of the WaveIso rhothophilus
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 73 open-data records from 1919 to 2023.
- Species data updated November 3, 2026.
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