Anchovy

Based on research by California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), northern anchovy landings and exploitation rates since 1983 have been decreasing. While biomass estimates are unavailable for recent years, CDFG believes the stock is currently stable at a modest biomass level. Northern anchovies are classified as a species of least concern on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species. Although current populations are thought to be stable, overfishing presents a potential threat to the longterm persistence of this species.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Little is known of communication and perception in this species. However, northern anchovies use vision and chemoreception through nares and the lateral line system to perceive their environment and communicate with conspecifics.

Communication Channels: visual ; chemical

Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; vibrations ; chemical

Northern anchovy larvae, while transparent, fall prey to a number of invertebrate and vertebrate planktivores. As juveniles they acquire pelagic coloration, and are extremely vulnerable to piscivores such as albacore and chub mackeral. A wide variety of fish, seabirds, and marine mammals feed on northern anchovies. They form large schools for protection against predators, and their coloration may help camouflage them from potential predators. Humans are probably the most significant predator of northern anchovies.

Known Predators:

• albacore, Thunnus alalunga
• chub mackerel, Scomber colias
• humans, Homo sapiens

Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic

Northern anchovies are small, slightly compressed and have large, inferior mouths. They are an iridescent bluish-green on the dorsum and shiny silver along the ventral surface. Adults have a faint silver stripe along their side. The insertion point of the anal fin can be used to distinguish northern anchovies from other anchovy species, as it inserts immediately posterior to the dorsal fin. Average adult size is 9 g in mass and 7 cm in length, and individuals rarely exceed 10 g in mass and 9 cm in length. Sexual dimorphism has not been reported in this species.

Range mass: 10 (high) g.

Average mass: 9 g.

Range length: 9.0 (high) cm.

Average length: 7.0 cm.

Other Physical Features: heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike

Little information is available concerning the average lifespan of northern anchovies. In the wild, most live between 4 and 7 years, with an average lifespan of 5 years.

Average lifespan
Status: wild: 7 years.

Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 4 to 7 years.

Average lifespan
Status: wild: 5 years.

Engraulis mordax is a neritic, epipelagic species that favors areas of coastal upwelling. Larvae can be found from 0 to 50 meters in depth, and adults are commonly found between 70 m and 200 m in depth. Larvae, juveniles, and adults can tolerate water temperatures between 8 and 25 degrees Celsius.

Range depth: 0 to 200 m.

Average depth: 73 m.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; saltwater or marine

Aquatic Biomes: pelagic ; coastal

Northern anchovy are found off the west coast of North America, from Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia, Canada, to Cabo San Lucas in Baja California, Mexico, and in the Gulf of California.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); pacific ocean (Native )

Northern anchovies feed upon krill, copepods, and decapod larvae, and collect food via filter feeding and active predation. When filter feeding, water and zooplankton pass through its large gaping mouth as it swims. Water passing over the gills is strained through long, finely-separated gill rakers, which collect particulate organic matter, phytoplankton, and zooplankton. Apart from nonselective filter feeding, northern anchovies have also been observed 'pecking' at larger prey. Adult northern anchovies typically attack prey only once and rarely make a second attempt in the event that prey escape.

Upon sighting prey, northern anchovy larvae assumes an S-shaped posture and advances toward the prey by sculling its pectoral fins and undulating the fin fold, while maintaining the S-posture. Larval anchovies maintain prey in the center of their visual field via slight adjustments in the position of its head and body. When prey are within striking distance, a larva opens its mouth and straightens its body. This causes the body to project forward, and the prey is ingested. The entire process takes about 1 to 2 seconds.

Animal Foods: zooplankton

Plant Foods: phytoplankton

Foraging Behavior: filter-feeding

Primary Diet: planktivore

Northern anchovies are an important primary and secondary consumer within the epipelagic food web of the Pacific coast. It is a critical source of food for a great variety of organisms, such as larger fish, marine mammals, and marine birds. Larvae are an important component of the spring ichthyoplankton assemblage in coastal California. Northern anchovies are host to numerous endoparasites, including protists (e.g., myxosporidian protozoan), flatworms (e.g., hemiurid trematodes and didymozoid trematodes, and digenean flatworms), and roundworms (e.g., Anisakis and Hysterothylacium).

Commensal/Parasitic Species:

• myxosporidian protozoan, Sphaeromyxa reinhardti
• digenean flatworm, Lecithaster gibbosus
• nematodes, Anisakis
• nematodes, Hysterothylacium
• hemiurid trematode, Parahemiurus merus
• didymozoid trematodes, Digenea

Northern anchovies support a number of commercial fisheries and live-bait fisheries in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. They are commonly consumed by humans and are sold live to anglers as bait. They are often converted into feed for fish hatcheries and farms and are a source of industrial fish meal and oil. From 1916 to 1967, catches averaged 325 metric tons per year. Total population biomass for northern anchovies was estimated to be 432,000 tons in 1994. Currently, California does not have an active fishery for this species.

Positive Impacts: food ; source of medicine or drug ; produces fertilizer

There are no known adverse effects of Engraulis mordax on humans.

During the larval period and throughout development, integument and lateral line system of northern anchovies develop gradually. Their eyes migrate from a binocular orientation to the sides of the head, and the digestive tract gradually becomes able to digest proteins. The swim bladder develops expansive capability via muscle differentiation, and trunk musculature differentiates and develops into two muscle fiber types. Organs development in northern anchovies can be characterized as initial differentiation followed by continued development of specialized cell and tissue types. A complete review of embryological development is provided in O'Connel, 1981.

Northern anchovies are promiscuous, as both sexes spawn indiscriminately with multiple partners during breeding season.

Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)

Northern anchovies breed during late winter and spring, however, some research suggests that they spawn throughout the year, with peak activity occurring from February to April. Spawning usually occurs within 95 km of the coast, but has been recorded up to 480 km offshore. There are approximately 574 eggs per gram, and fertilized eggs hatch 2 to 4 days after spawning. Northern anchovies perform seasonal migrations, usually moving to deeper, offshore waters during winter, and returning to shallow, coastal waters for spring. Males and females become sexually mature at about 2 years of age.

Breeding season: Throughout the year, with peaks between February to April.

Range number of offspring: 20,000 to 30,000.

Range gestation period: 2 to 4 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2 years.

Key Reproductive Features: year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (External ); broadcast (group) spawning; oviparous

Northern anchovies are broadcast spawners, and therefore, parental care is nonexistent in this species.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement

Restricted by law solely as a baitfish in California in 1949 to 1955, but since then also used for canning or processing into fishmeal or oil, as also in British Colombia in the 1940's when very abundant.Wide fluctuations in populations, partly in relation to hydrology, but complicated by the relation with the also fluctuating populations of the California pilchard (Sardinops caeruleus). The recorded catch in 1982 was 294 859 t (247 997 t by Mexico), fished with lampara nets, but after about 1946 mainly by purse seines. The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 11 137 t. The countries with the largest catches were Mexico(5 814 t) and USA (5 323 t).

Marine,pelagic, usually coastal and within about 30 km of shore, but to 480 km and down to 219 m depth,forming large tightly packed schools; enters bays and inlets (e.g., to about 2 km up Newport Bay, mainly in July and September - Horn & Alien, 1981:53).Feeds on euphausiids, copepods and decapod larvae (at least in British Colombia - Hart, 1973:105), both by random filter-feeding and by 'pecking' 60. at individual prey. Spawns from British Colombia south to Magdalena Bay, Baja California, but most abundantly between Point Conception and Point spring (January to March or April), but depending on hydrological conditions (preferred temperatures 10 to 23.3 °C in upper water layers and around 22.00 hours); eggs ellipsoidal, floating perpendicular at first, later horizontal, hatching in 2 to 4 days.

To 24.8 cm total length (about 20.5 cm standard length), usually about 12 and 14 cm standard length at 2 and 3 years.

Eastern North Pacific (northern part of Vancouver Island south to Cape San Lucas, Baja California).

Body slender, elongate, rather round in cross-section, its depth about 5 to 6 times in standard length. 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 supramaxilla; tip of lower jaw below nostril. Lower gillrakers 37 to 45, long and slender; no gillrakers on hind face of third epibranchial. Anal fin origin under about base of last dorsal finray or a little behind. A silver stripe along flank in young individuals, disappearing with age. AnchoaA. delicatissimaAnchoviella balboae

Coastal species occurring within 30 km offshore, but may be found as far as 480 km offshore and down to 219 m depth. Forms tightly packed schools; enters bays and inlets (e.g., to about 2 km up Newport Bay, mainly in July and September - (Ref. 6361). Feeds both by random filter- and particulate-feeding (Ref. 42392). Moves up near the surface at night.

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14 - 19; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 19 - 26; Vertebrae: 43 - 47

Spawns from British Colombia south to Magdalena Bay, Baja California, but most abundantly between Point Conception and Point San Juanico. There are two major spawning areas: 1) off southern California and northern Baja California and 2) off central and southern Baja California. Oviparous (Ref. 35602). Spawns either in inlets or offshore, throughout the year but mainly in winter and early spring, depending on hydrological conditions (preferably at 10 to 23.3° C in upper water layers and around 22.00 hours). Spawning occurs at night between 2000 and 0400 hour (Ref. 6882).

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 fin ray. A silver stripe along flank, disappearing with age.

Usually found in coastal waters within about 30 km from shore, but as far out as 480 km, forming large, tightly packed schools. Enters bays and inlets. Feeds on euphausiids, copepods and decapod larvae, both by random filter-feeding and by 'pecking' at prey. Oviparous, epipelagic batch spawner (Ref. 6882). Spawns throughout the year, peaking once (Ref. 6882). Processed into fishmeal, used as bait for tuna, occasionally canned (Ref. 9298).

fisheries: commercial; bait: usually

The Californian anchovy or northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) is a species of anchovy found in the Pacific Ocean, ranging from Mexico to British Columbia.