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Anchovy (Stolephorus commersonnii) — Engraulidae

Anchovy

Stolephorus commersonnii
Family: Engraulidae
LC · Least Concern

The Anchovy (Stolephorus commersonnii) is a brackish-water fish of the family Engraulidae that grows up to 11 cm.

Length
11.2 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0.0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Large groups
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

Commerson's anchovy is an anchovy (Engraulidae) from the Indo-West Pacific. The species has a slender, silvery body with a shiny silver lengthwise band and a projecting snout above a large mouth. It forms large schools in coastal waters to about 50 m deep and sometimes enters brackish water. With its fine gill rakers it filters small zooplankton from the water. It is an important prey and food fish. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Anchovy?

The Anchovy has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a horizontal stripes pattern.

Where does the Anchovy live?

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

How big does the Anchovy get?

The Anchovy grows to a maximum of about 11 cm.

Is the Anchovy dangerous to humans?

No, the Anchovy is harmless to humans.

Is the Anchovy edible?

Yes, the Anchovy is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Commersons ansjovis sourced
English name
Anchovy verified
Scientific name
Stolephorus commersonnii
Family
Engraulidae
Other names
Anchovy; Commerson's anchovy verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
11.2 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Horizontal stripes 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)
0.0 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
Commonly 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 Stolephorus

More from the family Engraulidae

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