Fish - Sardines
Sardines are finite fish resources in Age of Empires III. Each school has 100 hit points and yields 500 Food, and the entry recommends one fisherman for the node. Sardines appear on Araucania and Carolina; on Carolina they share the water with Tarpons.
Resource amount & access
Fishing Boats and fish-capable warships can work schools in open water, while Villagers need shallow shoreline access. Schools do not flee or attack, but are depleted as Food is gathered. Several boats can be assigned to a broad coastal area, yet concentrating them in a small space can make them an easy target for enemy ships. The 500-Food stock makes each school a temporary rather than renewable source.
Map scouting & economy
Scout the shoreline and nearby docks before committing to water gathering. On Carolina, the Sardines and Tarpons add a coastal food option alongside the land economy; on Araucania, the schools can support a water opening if the opponent cannot contest the coast. Use the time that fishing buys to keep Villagers on Wood or Coin, then transition to a renewable or safer source before the schools are exhausted.
Where this school appears
Sardines are recorded on Araucania and Carolina; Carolina can also include Tarpons in the same waters. Each node holds 500 Food and has 100 hit points, with one fisherman listed as the recommended gathering count. These figures describe the resource school, not a ship. Check the coastline and generated shoal positions before ordering boats, since map features can vary between matches.
Balance coastal Food with land gathering
A Sardine school can support Fishing Boats while land Villagers remain on Wood or Coin, but the 500 Food is finite. On Carolina, compare the Sardines and Tarpons with the available land economy; on Araucania, assess whether the opponent can contest the coast before treating fishing as a safe opening. Use boats that can move to another school when the first one is depleted, and protect the Dock so a water economy does not stop after one naval raid.