European anchovy

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Anchovies are small fish, roughly 10 to 20 cm long, that swim in dense balls of tens of thousands to confuse predators. Whales, seabirds and big fish all eat them. The waters off Peru are one of the world's biggest anchovy fisheries.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Class: Fish
Lives in: Humboldt Current off Peru
Diet: Filter feeder
Length: about 0.15 m
Lifespan: up to about 5 years
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN LC)
Habitat: coasts, open ocean

Quick answers

Where does the European anchovy live?

It lives in coasts, open ocean of the Atlantic Ocean. On the globe you can find it near Humboldt Current off Peru.

How big is the European anchovy?

It grows to about 0.15 m.

What does the European anchovy eat?

Its diet: filter feeder.

How long does the European anchovy live?

It can live up to about 5 years.

Is the European anchovy endangered?

It is listed as Least Concern (IUCN LC).

The European anchovy is a small silvery fish related to herring. It lives off the coasts of Europe and Africa, including the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Sea of Azov. It is usually about 13.5 cm long, and the biggest reach about 21 cm.

It swims in huge schools and is a key food for many fish, seabirds and marine mammals. People have fished it since ancient times, and it is widely eaten around its range. It is placed in the family Engraulidae and can be fished from the shore with simple gear such as beach seines. Quiz data says it can live about five years.

Life in a school

European anchovies live in the open water near coasts, usually less than 50 m deep in summer. In winter in the Mediterranean they may go down to 200 m, and some reach 400 m. They eat plankton, mostly copepods and the eggs and larvae of fish and other animals.

They migrate north in summer and south in winter. When threatened, schools bunch up into tight bait balls.

Silver fish, big job

Its back is blue, green or grey, with a silver belly and a silver stripe along the side that fades with age. A deeply cleft mouth with the opening reaching behind the eyes is a good clue to spot it.

They spawn from about April to November, whenever the water is warm enough. The word anchovy came into English from French.

Fun facts

Anchovies swim in huge schools and are a key food for seabirds, dolphins and larger fish.
The biggest anchovy recorded weighed only 49 g.
Schools make bait balls when threatened.
Anchovies have been fished since ancient times.