Clupeiform fishes are represented by a high diversity of species among commercial marine landings on the Kerala coast. They are a globally distributed clade with nearly 400 marine, freshwater, and diadromous species that form large schools and occupy a diverse array of trophic guilds and habitats. However, during this ground-level approach to exploring clupeid fishes on the Malabar Coast, thirteen species belonging to three families were recovered. Among the clupeid fishes recovered during the study period, members of the family Engraulidae were most abundant, followed by Pristigasteridae and Clupeidae. Meanwhile, with respect to the population size, engraulids and cluepeids were more abundant. Regarding oil sardine, Sardinella longiceps is the most abundant clupeiform fish along the Kerala coast, and it supports the state's economy through a single-species fishery. Out of the 112 fish collected during the study period, 83 were found to be members of the order Clupeiformes, belonging to three families: Engraulidae, Clupeidae and Pristigasteridae. Six species of Engraulidae, four species of Pristigasteridae and three species of Clupeidae were identified, but the population size of Engraulidae (48%) was highest, followed by Clupeidae (40%) and Pristigasteridae (12%). An examination of ectoparasitic infestation among these fishes was also thoroughly studied. Two parasitic crustaceans belonging to the two groups Isopoda and Copepoda were found to be infesting the body surface, buccal cavity, opercular cavity, and gills of the clupeid fishes.