| Engraulis
mordax
Girard,
1854 |
|
| Family: |
Engraulidae
(Anchovies) |
 |
| Order: |
Clupeiformes
|
| Class: |
Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) |
| FishBase name: |
Californian anchovy |
| Max. size: |
9.7 in SL (male/unsexed); max.
reported age: 7 years |
| Environment: |
pelagic; marine ; depth range 0 - 1000ft |
| Climate: |
subtropical; 55°N - 21°N |
| Importance: |
fisheries: commercial; aquarium: show aquarium;
bait: usually |
| Resilience: |
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 -
4.4 years |
| Distribution:
|
Northeast Pacific: northern Vancouver Island
south to Cape San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico. Two subspecies
recognized: E. mordax mordax from British Columbia to Baja
California and E. mordax nanus in Bays of California. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal
spines
(total): 0-0; Dorsal
soft
rays (total): 14-19; Anal
spines:
0-0; Anal
soft
rays: 19-26; Vertebrae
: 43-47. Snout quite sharply pointed; maxilla moderate, tip sharply
pointed, reaching to or almost to hind border of pre-operculum, projecting
well beyond tip of second supra-maxilla; tip of lower jaw below nostril.
gill rakers slender, long; absent on hind face of third epibranchial. Anal
fin origin under about base of last dorsal finray. A silver stripe along
flank, disappearing with age. |
| Biology: |
Usually found in coastal waters within about 19
mi from shore, but as far out as 300 mi, forming large, tightly packed
schools. Enters bays and inlets. Feeds on euphausids, copepods and decapod
larvae, both by random filter-feeding and by 'pecking' at prey. Processed
into fishmeal, used as bait for tuna, occasionally canned. |
| Red List Status: |
Not in IUCN Red List |
| Dangerous: |
harmless |
