Species: Anchoa mitchilli, Bay Anchovy

Anchoa mitchilli (Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1848)

Bay Anchovy

Body fusiform, moderately compressed; snout prominent, conical, projecting, fairly short (a little >1/2 eye diameter) and blunt; rear of the mouth extends well behind the eye; lower jaw suspended below head; upper jaw pointed, reaching nearly to rear edge of preopercle; membrane between gill covers not expanded at rear; no large canine teeth; 20-26 lower gill-rakers; top limb 3rd gill arch with 6-7 rakers; patch of gill filaments under gill cover short, not extending onto inside of gill cover; anal fin with long base, 23-30 branched rays, origin under front unbranched dorsal fin rays; anus nearer pelvic fin tip than anal fin origin; scale in axil of pectoral fin reaching >1/2 way along that fin.

Translucent grey above; silver stripe on flank narrow (~pupil diameter wide).

Size: 10 cm.

Habitat: marine, pelagic and coastal; from almost freshwater, marine, to hypersaline lagoons.

Depth: 0-36 m?

Maine to the Gulf of Mexico.