Species: Anchovia macrolepidota, Big-scale anchovy, Large-scale anchovy
snout < 3/4 eye, pointed
D & C: borders dark
pectoral to pelvic base
Anchovia macrolepidota (Kner, 1863)
Big-scale anchovy, Large-scale anchovy
Deep body, strongly compressed; snout short (< ¾ eye diameter) pointed; top jaw relatively short, reaches onto preoperculum, its tip pointed; very fine teeth on lower jaw; gill rakers fine and slender, lower rakers 70-135, 70 at 5 cm SL, 100 at 8-13 cm, and 120-135 in large fish, none on rear face of 3rd arch; gill membrane not broadly joined across under gills; dorsal fin15, origin at about midbody; pectorals reaching pelvic base; anal fin base long iii, 26-29 rays, origin under ~ middle of dorsal fin base.
Bluish on back, silvery below; a silvery stripe sometimes present along middle of side, not in adults; fins yellowish, tail fin with dark border.
Size: gows to about 25 cm.
Inhabits sandy shores and brackish river mouths forming large schools.
Depth: 0-10 m.
The Gulf of California to northern Peru.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Brackish
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Surface
- Water column only
- Near Surface
- Habitat
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- Estuary
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Freshwater
- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
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- Pelagic
- Feeding Group
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- Planktivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Phytoplankton
- Zooplankton
- Pelagic fish larvae
- No Data
- Pelagic fish eggs
- Egg Type
-
- Pelagic
- No data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- East Pacific endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent only
- Continent
- All species
- TEP endemic
- 3 provinces (Cortez + Mexican + Panamic) endemic
- Continental TEP endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 25
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 10
