Clupea sprattus, commonly known as the European sprat, is a small, oily fish found in the waters of the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea. The fish has various synonyms that are used interchangeably in different contexts, such as brisling, garvie, whitebait, sardine, and pilchard. These synonyms are typically regional, with brisling commonly used in Scandinavia and northern Europe, garvie in Scotland, and whitebait in England. Sardine and pilchard are also sometimes used to refer to sprats, particularly in canned products. Despite their small size, sprats are a popular food fish around the world and are often smoked or canned for preservation.