Endemic to Lake Bombon (=Taal), Batangas (Ref. 280).It is believed to be the only freshwater sardine in the Philippines which immigrated from Balayan Bay to Taal Lake (Ref. 81621). Reported harvest in 1984 was over 29,000 tonnes, by 1995 it was below 60 t (Ref. 12165). In 1998, production was at a high of 1120 mt, but down to 294 mt in 2000 (Ref. 80723). Threatened due to overfishing (Ref. 12165, 13446). May have split from the marine Sardinella hualiensis in the late Pleistocene based on DNA analyses (Ref. 108843). Also Ref. 188, 12550, 58652,13446.