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Hardenberg anchovy (Stolephorus insularis) — Engraulidae

Hardenberg anchovy

Stolephorus insularis
Family: Engraulidae
LC · Least Concern
NativeIntroduced

The Hardenberg anchovy (Stolephorus insularis) is a brackish-water fish of the family Engraulidae that grows up to 8 cm.

Length
8 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0.0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Range
Indo-West Pacific
Edibility
Commonly eaten

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Description

Hardenberg's anchovy is a small anchovy from the Indo-West Pacific, from India to Indonesia and the Philippines. The species grows to about 8 cm and has a slender, translucent silvery body with a shiny silver lateral band. It forms large schools in shallow coastal and lagoon water and filters small zooplankton. As a bait and food fish it is locally important. The fish is harmless to humans and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Hardenberg anchovy?

The Hardenberg anchovy has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a horizontal stripes pattern. Translucent schooling body with a shiny silver band

Where does the Hardenberg anchovy live?

The Hardenberg anchovy lives in brackish water and is mostly found around open water. Indo-West Pacific

How big does the Hardenberg anchovy get?

The Hardenberg anchovy grows to a maximum of about 8 cm.

Is the Hardenberg anchovy dangerous to humans?

No, the Hardenberg anchovy is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Hardenberg anchovy edible?

Yes, the Hardenberg anchovy is commonly eaten.

More photos

Hardenberg anchovy (Stolephorus insularis) — Engraulidae — 2
sharkdevotee (CC BY-NC 4.0) via GBIF — iNaturalist
Hardenberg anchovy (Stolephorus insularis) — Engraulidae — 3
Jiayuan Lin (CC BY-NC 4.0) via GBIF — iNaturalist
Hardenberg anchovy (Stolephorus insularis) — Engraulidae — 4
Jiayuan Lin (CC BY-NC 4.0) via GBIF — iNaturalist

Easily confused with

These species look like the Hardenberg anchovy and live in the same waters.

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All data

Identification

English name
Hardenberg anchovy verified
Scientific name
Stolephorus insularis
Family
Engraulidae
Other names
Batavian anchovy; Gold estuarine anchovy; Hardenberg's anchovy; Anchovy; Insular anchovy verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
8.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Horizontal stripes sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
50.0 verified
Natural range
Indo-West Pacific verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Small zooplankton inferred
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced
Seasonality
Coastal schooling anchovy; present year-round. sourced
Special features
Translucent schooling body with a shiny silver band sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Small in size and barely an angling target; mostly caught incidentally or as baitfish. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Stolephorus

More from the family Engraulidae

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