Anchovy

Belly rounded with 3 to 6 sharp needle-like pre-pelvic scutes. Maxilla tip blunt, scarcely projecting beyond second supra-maxilla, not reaching to front border of pre-operculum. Isthmus short, preceded by small fleshy plate on urohyal between branchial membranes. Anal fin short, its origin behind base of last dorsal fin ray.

Spawn in school (Ref. 205).

Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 15; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 14 - 17

Epipelagic (Ref. 58302). A schooling species found inshore and in oceanic waters, hundreds of miles from land (Ref. 189, 75154). Sometimes entering large atoll lagoons or deep, clear bays. (Ref. 189). Ranks among the most important food (bait) for tuna and other large pelagic fishes (Ref. 1602).

Epipelagic (Ref. 58302). A schooling species found inshore and in oceanic waters, hundreds of miles from land. Sometimes entering large atoll lagoons or deep, clear bays. Ranks among the most important food (bait) for tuna and other large pelagic fishes (Ref. 1602). Processed into nuoc-mam, a kind of fish pickle, in Indo-China (Ref. 4929).

fisheries: minor commercial; bait: usually; price category: medium; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family

廣泛分布於印度洋-太平洋區，西起非洲東南岸、紅海及波斯灣，東至夏威夷、大溪地及所羅門群島等，北至日本，南至澳洲皆產。臺灣各地皆產，以東北部及澎湖海域較多。

小型食用魚，一般多曬成魚乾出售，主要漁法為焚寄網或巾著網等，週年可見，無明顯盛漁期。台灣東北部及澎湖產量較高，是當地魩鱙漁業的重要魚種之一。

體細長，略呈亞圓筍形，腹鰭前方具4-5個針狀稜棘。頭中大。吻端尖。眼大，眼徑大於吻長。口大，微斜；上頜前端突出於下頜，上頜骨末端短鈍，向後延伸未達鰓蓋骨前端。鰓耙細長而密，下枝鰓耙在23-26間。體被圓鱗，鱗小而薄，易脫落，無側線。背鰭起始於體中部，具軟條13-14；臀鰭起於背鰭基部後之下方，具軟條16-18；尾鰭叉型。體色銀白略透明，體側具一條銀白色之縱帶。背鰭及尾鰭淡青色，其餘各鰭半透明。

大洋性表層洄游魚種，群游性。一般群游於近岸至離岸數百浬處，有時也會進入大型、較深且水質清澈的內灣或潟湖區。鰓耙發達，以過濾浮游生物為食。同時也是鮪、鯖等大型魚種之餌料生物。

Encrasicholina punctifer, known as the buccaneer anchovy, or in Hawaiian as nehu, is an anchovy of the family Engraulidae that is widespread in the Indo-Pacific.

A schooling species found inshore and in oceanic waters, hundreds of miles from land. Sometimes entering large atoll lagoons or deep, clear bays. Ranks among the most important food (bait) for tuna and other large pelagic fishes (Ref. 1602). Processed into nuoc-mam, a kind of fish pickle, in Indo-China (Ref. 4929).