鲱形目（学名Clupeiformes）是辐鳍鱼纲中的一个目，其中包括许多在渔业上非常重要的成群鱼类如鲱鱼等。是重要的经济鱼类，共有400多种，其中20多种占世界捕鱼量的1/3，有生活在海中的也有生活在淡水中的，70%生活在热带，但也有20 多种只生活在北方。本目鱼一般都大量产卵，即使孵化出的幼鱼死亡率也高达99%，是各种大鱼、水鸟的食物。本目鱼大多集群，一群多达数亿尾，有每日垂直移动的习性，白天在水深处，夜晚浮出水面。本目重要的食用鱼包括沙丁鱼、大西洋鲱鱼、鳀鱼、鲥鱼、凤尾鱼等。本目下分2个亚目：

Clupeiformes is the order of ray-finned fish that includes the herring family, Clupeidae, and the anchovy family, Engraulidae. The group includes many of the most important forage and food fish.

Clupeiformes are physostomes, which means that the gas bladder has a pneumatic duct connecting it to the gut. They typically lack a lateral line, but still have the eyes, fins and scales that are common to most fish, though not all fish have these attributes. They are generally silvery fish with streamlined, spindle-shaped, bodies, and they often school. Most species eat plankton which they filter from the water with their gill rakers.