A small schooling fish. Major prey for seabirds and other fish.

Also called: Northern Anchovy, Bay Anchovy

Native status: Native to Pacific coast of North America

§ Quick facts

SizeLength 10–18 cm; maximum 23 cm
Weight15–50 g
LifespanWild 3–7 years
OrderClupeiformes
FamilyEngraulidae

§ Encyclopedia

The Californian anchovy or northern anchovy is a species of anchovy found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from Mexico to British Columbia. It is a small, Clupeoid fish with a large mouth and a long, laterally compressed body, which strongly resembles the European Anchovy with only slight differences in girth and fin position. They have a euryhaline lifestyle defined by regular migrations between bays and open ocean for both spawning and foraging. Like Pacific sardines, they compose a large fraction of the marine biomass in waters off the west coast of North America, where they are a vital keystone species in coastal pelagic waters. However, they are subject to seasonal boom & bust cycles that are chiefly caused by changes in water temperature and food availability; regularly switching places as the forage fish of prominence with the sardine during years defined by colder water temperatures, which makes them vulnerable to climate change. They have a small commercial fishery; mainly used as bait for fishermen or fish meal, with a dedicated small following as a food fish in San Francisco.

Source: Wikipedia — Californian anchovy Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Slender silvery fish with bluish back; large eyes; deeply forked tail; small underslung mouth.

Similar species. Pacific Sardine (different scale pattern). Pacific Herring (larger; different proportions).

Voice. Silent.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Zooplankton (copepods, krill), small fish larvae.

Behavior. Critical forage fish of California Current ecosystem — supports massive populations of seabirds (especially brown pelicans, common murres), marine mammals (sea lions, dolphins), and predatory fish (tuna, salmon, sharks). Anchovy collapses cascade through the entire food web; 2014–2017 marine heatwave coincided with major anchovy population shifts and devastating impacts on dependent predators.

§ Range

Pacific coast

§ Habitat

Coastal Pacific

§ Threats

Overfishing.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the anchovy (northern) is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Support sustainable forage fish management.

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§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • NOAA Fisheries
  • Pacific Fishery Management Council
  • California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment