Anchovy

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This article is about the fish. For use in food, see Anchovy (food). For the town in Jamaica, see Anchovy, Jamaica.
Anchovies
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Clupeiformes
Family: Engraulidae
Genera

See text
Global commercial capture of anchovy in million tonnes 1950–2010[1]

Anchovies are a family (Engraulidae) of small, common salt-water forage fish. There are 144 species in 17 genera, found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovies are usually classified as an oily fish.[2]

Contents

Genera [edit]

Genera in the family Engraulidae
Genera Species Comment Genera Species Comment
Amazonsprattus 1 Anchoa 35
Anchovia 3 Anchoviella 4
Cetengraulis 2 Coilia 13
Encrasicholina 5 Engraulis 9 Type genus for anchovy. This genus contains all the commercially significant anchovy (see below)
Jurengraulis 1 Lycengraulis 4
Lycothrissa 1 Papuengraulis 1
Pseudosetipinna 1 Pterengraulis 1
Setipinna 8 Stolephorus 20
Thryssa 24

Characteristics [edit]

European anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus

Anchovies are small, green fish with blue reflections due to a silver longitudinal stripe that runs from the base of the caudal fin. They range from 2 centimetres (0.79 in) to 40 centimetres (16 in) in adult length,[3] and the body shape is variable with more slender fish in northern populations.

The snout is blunt with tiny, sharp teeth in both jaws. The snout contains a unique rostral organ, believed to be sensory in nature, although its exact function is unknown.[4] The mouth is larger than that of herrings and silversides, two fish anchovies closely resemble in other respects. The anchovy eats plankton and fry (recently-hatched fish).

Distribution [edit]

Anchovies are found in scattered areas throughout the world's oceans, but are concentrated in temperate waters, and are rare or absent in very cold or very warm seas. They are generally very accepting of a wide range of temperatures and salinity. Large schools can be found in shallow, brackish areas with muddy bottoms, as in estuaries and bays. They are abundant in the Mediterranean, particularly in the Alboran Sea,[5] and the Black Sea. The species is regularly caught along the coasts of Crete, Greece, Sicily, Italy, France, Turkey, and Spain. They are also found on the coast of northern Africa. The range of the species also extends along the Atlantic coast of Europe to the south of Norway. Spawning occurs between October and March, but not in water colder than 12 °C (54 °F). The anchovy appears to spawn at least 100 kilometers (62 mi) from the shore, near the surface of the water.

Ecology [edit]

The anchovy is a significant food source for almost every predatory fish in its environment, including the California halibut, rock fish, yellowtail, shark, chinook, and coho salmon. It is also extremely important to marine mammals and birds; for example, breeding success of California brown pelicans[6] and elegant terns is strongly connected to anchovy abundance.

Commercial species [edit]

This article is
one of a series on
Commercial fish
Blue walleye.jpg
Large pelagic
billfish, bonito
mackerel, salmon
shark, tuna
Forage
anchovy, herring
menhaden, sardine
shad, sprat
Demersal
cod, eel, flatfish
pollock, ray
Mixed
carp, tilapia
Commercially significant species
Common name Scientific name Maximum
length		 Common
length		 Maximum
weight		 Maximum
age		 Trophic
level		 Fish
Base		 FAO ITIS IUCN status
European anchovy* Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758) 20.0 cm 13.5 cm kg 3 years 3.11 [7] [8] [9] Not assessed
Argentine anchoita Engraulis anchoita (Hubbs & Marini, 1935) 17.0 cm cm 0.025 kg years 2.51 [10] [11] [12] Not assessed
Californian anchovy Engraulis mordax (Girard, 1856) 24.8 cm 15.0 cm 0.068 kg years 2.96 [13] [14] [15] LC IUCN 3 1.svg Least concern[16]
Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846) 18.0 cm 14.0 cm 0.045 kg 4 years 2.60 [17] [18] [19] Not assessed
Peruvian anchoveta Engraulis ringens (Jenyns, 1842) 20.0 cm 14.0 cm kg 3 years 2.70 [20] [21] [22] LC IUCN 3 1.svg Least concern[23]
Southern African anchovy Engraulis capensis (Gilchrist, 1913) 17.0 cm cm kg years 2.80 [24] [25] [26] Not assessed

* Type species

Fisheries [edit]

Global capture of anchovy in tonnes reported by the FAO

↑  Peruvian anchoveta 1950–2010 [1]
↑  Other anchovy 1950–2010 [1]
Capture of all anchovy reported by the FAO (green indicates Peruvian anchoveta) [1]

As food [edit]

Main article: Anchovy (food)
Still life with anchovies, 1972, Antonio Sicurezza
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Anchovy dishes

A traditional method of processing and preserving anchovies is to gut and salt them in brine, allow them to mature, and then pack them in oil or salt. This results in a characteristic strong flavor and the flesh turns deep grey. Pickled in vinegar, as with Spanish boquerones, anchovies are milder and the flesh retains a white color. In Roman times, anchovies were the base for the fermented fish sauce garum. Garum had a sufficiently long shelf life for long-distance commerce, and was produced in industrial quantities. Anchovies were also eaten raw as an aphrodisiac.[27] Today they are used in small quantities to flavor many dishes. Because of the strong flavor, they are also an ingredient in several sauces and condiments, including Worcestershire sauce, Caesar salad dressing, remoulade, Gentleman's Relish, many fish sauces, and in some versions of Café de Paris butter. For domestic use, anchovy fillets are packed in oil or salt in small tins or jars, sometimes rolled around capers. Anchovy paste is also available. Fishermen also use anchovies as bait for larger fish, such as tuna and sea bass.

The strong taste people associate with anchovies is due to the curing process. Fresh anchovies, known in Italy as alici, have a much milder flavor.[28] In Sweden and Finland, the name anchovies is related strongly to a traditional seasoning, hence the product "anchovies" is normally made of sprats[29] and also herring can be sold as "anchovy-spiced". Fish from the Engraulidae family is instead known as "sardell" in Sweden and "sardelli" in Finland, leading to confusion when translating recipes.

See also [edit]

Notes [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Based on data sourced from the relevant FAO Species Fact Sheets
  2. ^ "What's an oily fish?". Food Standards Agency. 2004-06-24. 
  3. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2008). "Engraulidae" in FishBase. December 2008 version.
  4. ^ Nelson, Gareth (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N., ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 94–95. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 
  5. ^ C.Michael Hogan. 2011. Alboran Sea. eds. P.Saundry & C.J.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC
  6. ^ The anchovy supply is particularly important to the nesting success of the brown pelican [1] ANDERSON ET AL.: BROWN PELICANS AS ANCHOVY STOCK INDICATORS CalCOFI Rep., Vol. XXI, 1980 "BROWN PELICANS AS ANCHOVYSTOCK INDICATORSAND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS TO COMMERCIAL FISHING" — p. 55: "3) [the brown] pelican reproductive rate (fledging success = F‘) depends largely on levels of anchovy abundance and availability. The diet of breeding pelicans from 1972 to 1979 was 92% anchovies (N = 2195; Gress et al. in preparation). At Anacapa Island, breeding pelicans feed mostly in the Santa Barbara Channel later in the breeding season, but their feeding areas are variable due to mobility of their prey, anchovies (Gress et al. in preparation). Less is known of pelicans nesting at Coronado Norte, but a similar situation involving feeding areas is likely."
  7. ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). "Engraulis encrasicolus" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  8. ^ Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758) FAO, Species Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 2012.
  9. ^ "Engraulis encrasicolus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved April 2012. 
  10. ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). "Engraulis anchoita" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  11. ^ Engraulis anchoita (Hubbs & Marini, 1935) FAO, Species Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 2012.
  12. ^ "Engraulis anchoita". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved April 2012. 
  13. ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). "Engraulis mordax" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  14. ^ Engraulis mordax (Girard, 1856) FAO, Species Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 2012.
  15. ^ "Engraulis mordax". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved April 2012. 
  16. ^ Iwamoto T, Eschmeyer W and Alvarado J (2010). "Engraulis mordax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 6 April 2012. 
  17. ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). "Engraulis japonicus" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  18. ^ Engraulis japonicus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846) FAO, Species Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 2012.
  19. ^ ITIS
  20. ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). "Engraulis ringens" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  21. ^ Engraulis ringens (Jenyns, 1842) FAO, Species Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 2012.
  22. ^ "Engraulis ringens". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved April 2012. 
  23. ^ Iwamoto T, Eschmeyer W and Alvarado J (2010). "Engraulis ringens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 6 April 2012. 
  24. ^ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). "Engraulis capensis" in FishBase. April 2012 version.
  25. ^ Engraulis capensis (Gilchrist, 1913) FAO, Species Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 2012.
  26. ^ "Engraulis capensis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved April 2012. 
  27. ^ Tacitus: Germania
  28. ^ White Anchovy Fillets
  29. ^ Food: First catch your anchovies

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Look up anchovy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Anchovies (Engraulidae)
Genera
Engraulis mordax
Main commercial
species
Other species
As food
Related topics
Principal commercial fishery species groups
Wild
Atlantic cod

Lobster

Pacific oysters
Farmed
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