Anchoa mitchilli
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Clupeiformes
Family: Engraulidae
Genus: Anchoa
Species:
A. mitchilli
Binomial name
Anchoa mitchilli
(Valenciennes, 1848)
Synonyms
  • Engraulis mitchilli Valenciennes, 1848
  • Engraulis louisiana Lesueur, 1848
  • Anchoa mitchilli diaphana Hildebrand, 1943

Anchoa mitchilli is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae, the anchovies. Its common names include bay anchovy and common anchovy.[1] It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.[1] It is one of the most common fish species along the coastlines of the western Atlantic.[2]

Etymology

The fish is named in honor of Samuel Latham Mitchill (1764–1831), naturalist, physician and U.S. Senator, who studied the fishes of New York.[3]

Description

The bay anchovy is somewhat variable in appearance.[4] It is a small, slender, schooling fish with a greenish body and a silvery stripe. It is characterized by its very long jaw, silvery belly, lateral stripe, and single dorsal fin. The dorsal fin is located directly above the anal fin origin.[5] The adult male is generally about 6 centimeters long, with a maximum length of 10[4] to 11 centimeters.[1] It has 14 to 16 rays in its dorsal fin, 24 to 30 in its anal fin, and 11 to 12 in the pectoral.[6] It may live more than three years.[1]

The bay anchovy is similar to other species in the genus Anchoa which occur in the same regions. The broad-striped anchovy is similar in appearance but grows to a larger size, up to 15 centimeters. The Cuban anchovy has its anal fin set farther back on the body.[6]

Range and habitat

This species is distributed in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico along the eastern coasts of North America from Maine to Yucatán.[6] It does not occur in the West Indies.[4] It is well known in the Chesapeake Bay, where it is the most abundant fish.[7]

It occurs in a wide range of water temperatures and salinities, including some hypersaline environments.[6] It does not tolerate low-oxygen waters and easily asphyxiates when deprived of oxygen.[6]

This fish spends most of its time cruising the water column. It can also be found over bare substrates at the ocean floor and in tide pools and surf zones.[6] It can live in muddy, brackish waters.[4] It rarely enters waters deeper than 25 meters.[1]

Biology and ecology

This fish feeds on zooplankton, including copepods, mysids, and crab larvae.[6]

It is in turn an important prey item for a variety of larger fish, including weakfish (Cynoscion regalis), striped bass (Morone saxatilis), chain pickerel (Esox niger), and bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix).[6] Birds such as royal terns (Thalasseus maximus) and Sandwich terns (T. sandvicensis) feed on it.[6]

This species is an important link in the food web in many ecosystems. It is a major pathway by which zooplankton biomass is converted to the biomass of larger fish.[1]

The bay anchovy is sexually mature when it reaches about 4 centimeters in length. It spawns in the water column in shallow and deeper waters. In the southern part of its range it spawns year-round, and farther north it breeds during the warmer months.[6] A female can spawn 50 times in one season, producing over 1000 eggs each time. Eggs hatch in 24 hours.[7] Larvae mature in about 45 days. Their growth rates are variable and may depend on the availability of food.[6]

Human uses

This species is made into anchovy paste and is used as a bait fish.[1] It is harvested as a rough fish and used for fish oil and fish paste.[6]

Conservation

This fish is not of conservation concern. It has an extensive range, a large and stable population made up of many subpopulations, and no major threats.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 NatureServe. 2013. Anchoa mitchilli. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013. Downloaded on 13 June 2016.
  2. ↑ Newberger, T. A. and E. D. Houde. 1995. Population biology of bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli in the mid Chesapeake Bay. Marine Ecology Progress Series 116 25-37.
  3. ↑ The Etyfish Project
  4. 1 2 3 4 Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds. Anchoa mitchilli. FishBase. 2016.
  5. ↑ DeLancey, L. Anchoa mitchilli. Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. 2006.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Masterson, J. Anchoa mitchilli. Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce. 2008.
  7. 1 2 Anchoa mitchilli. Field Guide. Chesapeake Bay Program.

Further reading

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