Home · Engraulidae · Snubnose anchovy
Snubnose anchovy (Anchoviella brevirostris) — Engraulidae

Snubnose anchovy

Anchoviella brevirostris
Family: Engraulidae
LC · Least Concern

The Snubnose anchovy (Anchoviella brevirostris) is a brackish-water fish of the family Engraulidae that grows up to 9 cm.

Length
9 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
1.0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Large groups
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The anchovy is an anchovy (Engraulidae) from the western Atlantic Ocean. The species is small and slender with a translucent, silvery body and a short snout. It occurs in coastal waters, but also in estuaries and into almost fresh water. It forms schools and feeds on small zooplankton it filters from the water. It is an important prey fish for larger fishes. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Snubnose anchovy?

The Snubnose anchovy has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Snubnose anchovy live?

The Snubnose anchovy lives in brackish water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Snubnose anchovy get?

The Snubnose anchovy grows to a maximum of about 9 cm. On average the species is around 7 cm.

Is the Snubnose anchovy dangerous to humans?

No, the Snubnose anchovy is harmless to humans.

Is the Snubnose anchovy edible?

The Snubnose anchovy is rarely eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Kortsnuit-ansjovis sourced
English name
Snubnose anchovy verified
Scientific name
Anchoviella brevirostris
Family
Engraulidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
9.0 verified
Average length (cm)
7.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
50.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Large groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Anchoviella

More from the family Engraulidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →