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Buccaneer anchovy

Encrasicholina punctifer

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth0–349 m
  • Water temperature22–29 °C
  • Best monthsNovember and December
  • How commonOccasional
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About this species

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.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Encrasicholina punctifer”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 21 records
  • February: 0 records
  • March: 3 records
  • April: 27 records
  • May: 1 records
  • June: 10 records
  • July: 5 records
  • August: 10 records
  • September: 7 records
  • October: 9 records
  • November: 73 records
  • December: 54 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 0–349 m · Deepest record: 387 m

  • 0–10 m: 9 records
  • 10–20 m: 1 records
  • 20–30 m: 0 records
  • 30–40 m: 0 records
  • 40–50 m: 1 records
  • 50–60 m: 0 records
  • 60–70 m: 5 records
  • 70–80 m: 0 records
  • 80–90 m: 0 records
  • 90–100 m: 0 records
  • 100–110 m: 0 records
  • 110+ m: 9 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 22–29 °C

  • 22–24 °C: 11 records
  • 24–26 °C: 92 records
  • 26–28 °C: 113 records
  • 28–30 °C: 24 records

Names and classification

English
Buccaneer anchovy, Anchovy, buccaneer anchovy, Commerson's anchovy, Oceanic anchovy
Names in 4 more languages
Spanish
Boquerón bucanero
French
Anchois boucanier
Japanese
Taiwanainokoiwashi, タイワンアイノコイワシ
Simplified Chinese
刺公鯷, 白鱙, 銀灰半棱鯷, 魩仔

Other scientific names: Stolephorus buccaneeri, Stolephorus buccaneri, Stolephorus punctifer

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

  • Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
  • Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 586 open-data records from 1929 to 2023.
  • Species data updated October 26, 2026.

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