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Anchovy

Engraulis encrasicolus

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth13–88 m
  • Water temperature10–26 °C
  • Best monthsOctober and November
  • How commonCommon
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Photo credit: (c) Duarte Frade, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Duarte Frade · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

The European anchovy is a forage fish somewhat related to the herring. It is a type of anchovy; anchovies are placed in the family Engraulidae. It lives off the coasts of Europe and Africa, including in the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov. It is fished by humans throughout much of its range.

Text from the Wikipedia article “European anchovy”, 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: 1,144 records
  • February: 2,685 records
  • March: 545 records
  • April: 561 records
  • May: 664 records
  • June: 567 records
  • July: 241 records
  • August: 515 records
  • September: 1,098 records
  • October: 4,399 records
  • November: 5,361 records
  • December: 870 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 13–88 m · Deepest record: 545.3 m

  • 0–10 m: 825 records
  • 10–20 m: 2,974 records
  • 20–30 m: 1,913 records
  • 30–40 m: 2,512 records
  • 40–50 m: 2,327 records
  • 50–60 m: 2,070 records
  • 60–70 m: 1,401 records
  • 70–80 m: 682 records
  • 80–90 m: 567 records
  • 90–100 m: 298 records
  • 100–110 m: 171 records
  • 110+ m: 1,143 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 10–26 °C

  • 8–10 °C: 19 records
  • 10–12 °C: 389 records
  • 12–14 °C: 146 records
  • 14–16 °C: 178 records
  • 16–18 °C: 73 records
  • 18–20 °C: 59 records
  • 20–22 °C: 3 records
  • 22–24 °C: 11 records
  • 24–26 °C: 1 records

Names and classification

English
Anchovy, European anchovy, Southern African anchovy, anchovy, Anchovy Paste, Black Sea Anchovy, European anchovy, Anchovy, Italian Sardel, South African Anchovy, Southern Anchovy
Names in 3 more languages
German
Anchovis, Europäische Sardelle, Sardelle, Sardellenpaste
Spanish
anchoa, Anchoa, Anchoa, boqueron, Anchoa de Africa Austral, Anchoa Europea, Bocareu, Boqueron, boquerón, Boquerón, Carne Con Carne, Longorón, Pasta Fermentada de Anchoas
French
Amplovo, anchois, Anchois, Anchois Commun, Anchois de L'Afrique Australe, anchois d'Europe, Anchois Européen, Anchois européen, Anchois, Anchois Italien, Carne A Carne

Other scientific names: Anchoa guineensis, Anchoviella guineensis, Clupea encrasicolus, Engraulis amara, Engraulis argyrophanus, Engraulis encrasicholus, Engraulis encrasicolis, Engraulis encrassicolus, Engraulis engrasicholus, Engraulis engrasicolus, Engraulis guineensis, Engraulis meletta, Engraulis russoi, Engraulis vulgaris, Engraulus encrasicholus, Stolephorus encrasicolus

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).
  • 40,941 open-data records from 1869 to 2024.
  • Species data updated November 2, 2026.

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