Anchovy

Anchovies are classified into two subfamilies and 16 genera:{{Cof family|family=Engraulidae|access-date=17 November 2024}}

• Superfamily Engrauloidea
• Genus †Clupeopsis Casier, 1946{{Cite journal |last1=Capobianco |first1=Alessio |last2=Beckett |first2=Hermione T. |last3=Steurbaut |first3=Etienne |last4=Gingerich |first4=Philip D. |last5=Carnevale |first5=Giorgio |last6=Friedman |first6=Matt |date=2020 |title=Large-bodied sabre-toothed anchovies reveal unanticipated ecological diversity in early Palaeogene teleosts |journal=Royal Society Open Science |language=en |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=192260 |bibcode=2020RSOS....792260C |doi=10.1098/rsos.192260 |issn=2054-5703 |pmc=7277248 |pmid=32537214}}
• Genus †Monosmilus Capobianco et al, 2020
• Family Engraulidae Gill, 1861
• Subfamily Engraulinae Gill, 1861
• Genus Amazonsprattus Roberts, 1984
• Genus Anchoa D. S. Jordan & Evermann, 1927
• Genus Anchovia D. S. Jordan & Evermann, 1895
• Genus Anchoviella Fowler, 1911
• Genus Cetengraulis Günther, 1868
• Genus Encrasicholina Fowler, 1938
• Genus †Eoengraulis Marrama & Carnevale, 2015{{Cite journal |last1=Marramà |first1=Giuseppe |last2=Carnevale |first2=Giorgio |date=2016 |title=An Eocene anchovy from Monte Bolca, Italy: The earliest known record for the family Engraulidae |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/geological-magazine/article/abs/an-eocene-anchovy-from-monte-bolca-italy-the-earliest-known-record-for-the-family-engraulidae/91601FC9A60C5A768BFE385721914A20 |journal=Geological Magazine |language=en |volume=153 |issue=1 |pages=84–94 |doi=10.1017/S0016756815000278 |bibcode=2016GeoM..153...84M |issn=0016-7568|url-access=subscription }}
• Genus Engraulis Cuvier, 1816
• Genus Jurengraulis Whitehead, 1988
• Genus Lycengraulis Günther, 1868
• Genus Pterengraulis Günther, 1868
• Genus Stolephorus Lacépède, 1803
• Subfamily Coiliinae Bleeker, 1870
• Genus Coilia Gray 1830
• Genus Lycothrissa Günther, 1868
• Genus Papuengraulis Munro, 1964
• Genus Setipinna Swainson 1839
• Genus Thryssa Cuvier, 1829

File:Monosmilus chureloides.jpg]]

The earliest known fossil records of anchovy relatives are of large predatory stem-anchovies (Clupeopsis and Monosmilus) from the early and middle Eocene of the Tethys Ocean, in Belgium and Pakistan. The large fangs of these early anchovy relatives has led to the nickname "saber-toothed anchovies" (not to be confused with the extant genus Lycengraulis).{{Cite web |title=Meter-long saber-toothed anchovies roamed the seas around 50 million years ago {{!}} U-M LSA Museum of Paleontology |url=https://lsa.umich.edu/paleontology/news-events/all-news/search-news/meter-long-saber-toothed-anchovies-roamed-the-seas-around-50-mil.html |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=lsa.umich.edu |language=en}} The earliest record of a true anchovy is of the stem-engrauline Eoengraulis from the Early Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy.

Despite their abundance in the modern day and their tendency to form huge schools, anchovies are relatively rare in the fossil record. Many species that were formerly considered fossil anchovies are thought to either not be anchovies or are too fragmentary to confidently assign to this group. The rarity of anchovies in the fossil record may be an artifact of preservation; fossil anchovies are only recognizable as such when well-preserved, but anchovies tend to inhabit highly turbid nearshore marine environments where preservation as fossils is much less likely, while well-preserved fossil fishes tend to be found in deposits formed in deeper water.{{Cite book |last1=Grande |first1=Lance |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/197640 |title=Interrelationships of fossil and recent anchovies (Teleostei, Engrauloidea) and description of a new species from the Miocene of Cyprus |last2=Grande |first2=Lance |date=1985 |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |location=New York, N.Y}}

File:Engraulis encrasicolus Gervais flipped.jpg, Engraulis encrasicolus}}|left]]

Anchovies are small, green fish with blue reflections due to a silver-colored longitudinal stripe that runs from the base of the caudal (tail) fin. They range from {{convert|2|to|40|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=off}} in adult length,{{FishBase family|family=Engraulidae|year=2008|month=December}} and their body shapes are variable with more slender fish in northern populations.

The snout is blunt with tiny, sharp teeth in both jaws. The snout contains a unique rostral organ, believed to be electro-sensory in nature, although its exact function is unknown.{{cite journal |last1=Bemis |first1=William E. |last2=Hetherington |first2=Thomas E. |title=The Rostal Organ of Latimeria chalumnae: Morphological Evidence of an Electroreceptive Function |journal=Copeia |date=28 May 1982 |volume=1982 |issue=2 |pages=467 |doi=10.2307/1444635|jstor=1444635 }}{{cite book |editor1=Paxton, J.R. |editor2=Eschmeyer, W.N. |author= Nelson, Gareth|year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes|publisher= Academic Press|location=San Diego|pages= 94–95|isbn= 978-0-12-547665-2}} The mouth is larger than that of herrings and silversides, two fish which anchovies closely resemble in other respects. The anchovy eats plankton and recently hatched fish.

Anchovies are found in scattered areas throughout the world's oceans, but are concentrated in temperate waters, and are rare or absent in very cold or very warm seas. They are generally very accepting of a wide range of temperatures and salinity. Large schools can be found in shallow, brackish areas with muddy bottoms, as in estuaries and bays.

The European anchovy is abundant in the Mediterranean, particularly in the Alboran Sea,C.Michael Hogan. 2011. [http://www.eoearth.org/article/Alboran_Sea?topic=49523 Alboran Sea. eds. P.Saundry & C.J.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC] Aegean Sea and the Black Sea. This species is regularly caught along the coasts of Crete, Greece, Sicily, Italy, France, Turkey, Northern Iran, Portugal and Spain. They are also found on the coast of northern Africa. The range of the species also extends along the Atlantic coast of Europe to the south of Norway. Spawning occurs between October and March, but not in water colder than {{cvt|12|C}}. The anchovy appears to spawn at least {{convert|100|km|nmi|round=5|abbr=off}} from the shore, near the surface of the water.

The anchovy is a significant food source for almost every predatory fish in its environment, including the California halibut, rock fish, yellowtail, shark, chinook, and coho salmon. It is also extremely important to marine mammals and birds; for example, breeding success of California brown pelicans{{cite journal|last1=Anderson|first1=Daniel W.|last2=Gress|first2=Franklin|last3=Mais|first3=Kenneth F.|last4=Kelly|first4=Paul R.|editor-last=North|editor-first=Nance|year=1980|title=Brown pelicans as anchovy stock indicators and their relationships to commercial fishing|url=http://calcofi.org/publications/calcofireports/v21/Vol_21_Anderson_etal.pdf|journal=CalCOFIs Reports|volume=21|page=55|publisher=California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations|quote=Pelican reproductive rate ... depends largely on levels of anchovy abundance and availability.|access-date=2011-12-04|archive-date=2012-12-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121223174905/http://calcofi.org/publications/calcofireports/v21/Vol_21_Anderson_etal.pdf|url-status=dead}} and elegant terns is strongly connected to anchovy abundance.

Anchovies, like most clupeoids (herrings, sardines and anchovies), are filter-feeders that open their mouths as they swim. As water passes through the mouth and out the gills, food particles are sieved by gill rakers and transferred into the esophagus.Bone, Q., & Marshall, N. (1982). Biology of fishes. Glasgow: Blackie.

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* Type species

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| header = Global capture of anchovy in tonnes reported by the FAO

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| image1=Global capture of all anchovy.png

| caption1=Capture of all anchovy reported by the FAO (green indicates Peruvian anchoveta)

| image2 = Time series for global capture of anchoveta.png

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| caption2 = {{center|↑  Peruvian anchoveta 1950–2010}}

| image3 = Time series for global capture of other anchovy.png

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| caption3 = {{center|↑  Other anchovy 1950–2010}}

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| image5 = Time series for global capture of all anchovy 2.png

| caption5 = Global commercial capture of anchovy in million tonnes 1950–2010Based on data sourced from the relevant [http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/search/en FAO Species Fact Sheets]

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On average, the Turkish commercial fishing fleet catches around 300,000 tons per year, mainly in winter. The largest catch is in November and December.{{cite web|title=Turkish Black Sea Acoustic Surveys: Winter distribution of anchovy along the Turkish coast|url=http://hamsi.ims.metu.edu.tr/sunumlar/6-Anchovy_Medias_2013.pdf|publisher=Middle East Technical University Institute of Marine Sciences}}

File:Ictiómetro Anchoveta.jpg (E. ringens), one of the most commercially important fish species]]

The Peruvian anchovy fishery is one of the largest in the world, far exceeding catches of the other anchovy species.

In 1972, it collapsed catastrophically due to the combined effects of overfishing and El Niño{{Cite web |url=http://www.ucar.edu/communications/gcip/m12anchovy/m12pdf.pdf |title=El Nino and the Peruvian Anchovy Fishery - I. The Finite Resource |access-date=2015-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203064420/http://www.ucar.edu/communications/gcip/m12anchovy/m12pdf.pdf |archive-date=2011-12-03 |url-status=dead }} and did not fully recover for two decades.

{{Cookbook}}{{main|Anchovies as food}}

File:Antonio Sicurezza - Still life with anchovies.jpg]]

A traditional method of processing and preserving anchovies is to gut and salt them in brine, allow them to cure, and then pack them in oil or salt. This results in a characteristic strong flavor and the flesh turning a deep grey. Pickled in vinegar, as with Spanish boquerones, anchovies are milder and the flesh retains a white color. In Roman times, anchovies were the base for the fermented fish sauce garum. Garum had a sufficiently long shelf life for long-distance commerce, and was produced in industrial quantities. Anchovies were also eaten raw as an aphrodisiac.{{cite web|url=http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/tacitus/tac.ger.shtml|title=Tacitus: Germania|work=thelatinlibrary.com}}

Today, they are used in small quantities to flavor many dishes. Because of the strong flavor, they are also an ingredient in several sauces and condiments, including Worcestershire sauce, caesar salad dressing, remoulade, Gentleman's Relish, many fish sauces, and in some versions of Café de Paris butter. For domestic use, anchovy fillets are packed in oil or salt in small tins or jars, sometimes rolled around capers. Anchovy paste is also available. Fishermen also use anchovies as bait for larger fish, such as tuna and sea bass.Walford L. A. (1945) [https://books.google.com/books?id=jdVNp7xBEucC&dq=Fishermen+anchovies+as+bait+tuna+sea+bass&pg=PA26 Fishery Resources of the United States of America], page 26, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The strong taste people associate with anchovies is due to the curing process. Fresh anchovies, known in Italy as alici, have a much milder flavor.{{cite web|url=http://www.marxfoods.com/White-Anchovy-Fillets|title=White Anchovy Fillets (Boquerones)|work=marxfoods.com}} The anchovies from Barcola (in the local dialect: sardoni barcolani) are particularly popular. These white fleshy fish, which are only found at Sirocco in the Gulf of Trieste, achieve the highest prices.Georges Desrues "Eine Lange Nacht am Meer", In: Triest - Servus Magazin (2020), p 73.

In Sweden and Finland, the name "anchovies" is related strongly to a traditional seasoning, hence the product "anchovies" is normally made of sprats{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-first-catch-your-anchovies-1295644.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714191707/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-first-catch-your-anchovies-1295644.html |archive-date=2009-07-14 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Food: First catch your anchovies|work=The Independent|date=22 November 1997 }} and herring can be sold as "anchovy-spiced". Fish from the family Engraulidae are instead known as sardell in Sweden and sardelli in Finland, leading to confusion when translating recipes.

In Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, they are deep-fried and eaten as a snack or a side dish. They are known as ikan bilis in Malay, ikan teri in Indonesian and dilis in Filipino.{{Cite web |last=Benayoun |first=Mike |date=2017-07-03 |title=Dilis |url=https://www.196flavors.com/philippines-dilis/ |access-date=2022-08-19 |website=196 flavors |language=en-US}}

• Sardine

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{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite journal |last1=Chavez |first1=F. P. |last2=Ryan |first2=J. |last3=Lluch-Cota |first3=S. E. |last4=Ñiquen |first4=C. M. |year=2003 |title=From Anchovies to Sardines and Back: Multidecadal Change in the Pacific Ocean |journal=Science |volume=229 |issue=5604 |pages=217–221 |doi=10.1126/science.1075880 |pmid=12522241 |bibcode=2003Sci...299..217C |s2cid=37990897 }}
• {{FishBase family | family = Engraulidae | month = January | year = 2006}}
• Miller DJ (1956) [http://www.calcofi.org/publications/calcofireports/v05/Vol_05_Anchovy_Miller.pdf "Anchovy"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716072716/http://www.calcofi.org/publications/calcofireports/v05/Vol_05_Anchovy_Miller.pdf |date=2020-07-16 }} CalCOFI Reports, 5: 20–26.
• Nizinski MS and Munroe TA (1988) FAO species catalogue, volume 2: Clupeoid Fishes of the World, [ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/y4161e/y4161e12.pdf Engraulidae, Anchovies]{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Pages 764–780, FAO Fisheries Synopsis 125, Rome. {{ISBN|92-5-102340-9}}.
• Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission [http://www.psmfc.org/habitat/edu_anchovy_fact.html] Northern Anchovy
• {{Cite web|title=Ancient anchovies were huge and used sabre teeth to eat other fish|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2243174-ancient-anchovies-were-huge-and-used-sabre-teeth-to-eat-other-fish/|last=Crane|first=Leah|website=New Scientist|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-14}}

{{Commons category |Engraulidae|Engraulidae
(Anchovies)}}

{{Wiktionary}}

{{Cookbook|Anchovy}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090911090833/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/92213028.html "Fisheries Ebb and Flow in 50-Year Cycle"] by Cameron Walker, National Geographic News (January 9, 2003).
• {{cite EB1911 |wstitle = Anchovy |volume=1 |last= Cunningham |first= Joseph Thomas |author-link= Joseph Thomas Cunningham |short=1}}

{{anchovies |state = expanded }}

{{commercial fish topics}}

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Category:Clupeiformes

Category:Fish common names

Category:Marine fish

Category:Taxa named by Theodore Gill

Category:Extant Ypresian first appearances