Skip to content
DiveHive
EN
Join the waitlist

DiscoverSpeciesFish

Anchovy

Engraulis australis

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth16–108 m
  • Water temperature11–29 °C
  • Best monthsDecember
  • How commonOccasional
All species

Photo credit: (c) Jay Pruett, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

The Australian anchovy, Engraulis australis, is a species of anchovy of the family Engraulidae, found off south-east Australia, and around New Zealand.

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

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 70 records
  • February: 48 records
  • March: 57 records
  • April: 50 records
  • May: 35 records
  • June: 23 records
  • July: 18 records
  • August: 31 records
  • September: 27 records
  • October: 85 records
  • November: 54 records
  • December: 191 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 16–108 m · Deepest record: 1,017.5 m

  • 0–10 m: 27 records
  • 10–20 m: 57 records
  • 20–30 m: 80 records
  • 30–40 m: 97 records
  • 40–50 m: 146 records
  • 50–60 m: 44 records
  • 60–70 m: 26 records
  • 70–80 m: 15 records
  • 80–90 m: 4 records
  • 90–100 m: 5 records
  • 100–110 m: 108 records
  • 110+ m: 17 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 11–29 °C

  • 10–12 °C: 1 records
  • 12–14 °C: 2 records
  • 14–16 °C: 109 records
  • 16–18 °C: 68 records
  • 18–20 °C: 15 records
  • 20–22 °C: 15 records
  • 22–24 °C: 5 records
  • 24–26 °C: 40 records
  • 26–28 °C: 4 records
  • 28–30 °C: 5 records

Names and classification

English
Anchovy, Australian anchovy, Blue Bait, Frogmouth, Frogmouth Pilchard, Smig, Southern Anchovy, Whitebait
Names in 1 more languages
Simplified Chinese
澳洲鯷

Other scientific names: Atherina australis, Engraulis antarcticus, Engraulis antipodum

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).
  • 1,313 open-data records from 1893 to 2023.
  • Species data updated November 2, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist

DiveHive uses necessary cookies to work. With your permission we also use analytics to see which pages help. Analytics is off until you say yes, and we never record what you type.

  • NecessaryAlways on: your choice, security.Always on
  • AnalyticsOff unless you accept.Off
Privacy policy