Anchoa mitchilli

Bay Anchovy - Anchoa mitchilli'''

Habitat Found mostly in the upper waters of estuaries as well as shallow coastal waters. They can withstand most salinity levels and spend most of their time schooling together near the surface of the water.

Range This fish species is found on the eastern Atlantic coast from Main all the way past the Florida Keys and into parts of Mexico.

Description Bay anchovies are small, translucent fish that are slender in the body. They have a silver-greenish body with a single silver strip down the side of its body. They have a pair of large eyes as well as a large mouth. There is a single dorsal fin and forked tail fin.

Ecological Notes These fish are a crucial food source for organism higher in the trophic level. Larger fish and birds typically prey them upon. The bay anchovy itself eat zooplankton, which mostly consists of copepods, and they have adapted to this by having larger mouths used to filter through the water as they swim. On average these small fish will only live for up to two years and they are sexually mature just after a few short months in their life.

Personal Information I encountered with this fish while trawling in the Croatan sound at a coastal research center and this was one of the more common fishes that we had found.

Journal Articles For information on Bay Anchovy predation and reproduction. . . Peebles, E., Hall, J., & Tolley, S. (February 8, 1996). Egg production by the bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli in relation to adult and larval prey fields. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 131, 61-73. doi:10.3354/meps131061

Contributed by Justus Kendel - 2018

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