Anchovies
anchovies_g293
Striped Anchovy
Anchoa hepsetus
About
The striped anchovy travels in tight shoals along the coast of the west Atlantic, from Chesapeake Bay south to the West Indies and Uruguay. It is a key food source for larger fish, such as seatrout, and for coastal birds.
How to tell it apart
Small silvery shoaling fish along the coast are easy to mix up. This species gets its name from its stripe, which is broader than in similar anchovies, so a wide, solid silver band down the side is the mark to check for.
Appearance
This is a slim, elongated fish with large eyes, a snout that juts out past the lower jaw, and a big, underslung mouth. Its body is grey-green with small black dots, and a bright silvery stripe runs the full length of its side, from head to tail.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
