Family ENGRAULIDAE

Engraulidae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

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Introduction

The Engraulidae include 139 species in 16 genera worldwide (Nelson 2006). In Australia, 23 species of anchovies in six genera have been recorded.

Anchovies are primarily shallow water marine fishes that feed on plankton. Some species can ascend rivers and a few live entirely in fresh water. Most species have a characteristic long snout over a subterminal mouth, which extends far behind the level of the eye. Some species have striking posterior extensions to the upper jaw and one non-Australian species has photophores. Most Indo-Pacific species have scutes on the belly. The body is usually elongate and variously compressed. Anchovies are commercially important in most areas of the world, including Australia, where relatively small numbers are marketed. Maximum size for the family is about 30 cm.

Engraulids were reviewed by Whitehead et al. (1988). Regional accounts include those of Hildebrand (1963) who reviewed the species of the western North Atlantic, Whitehead et al. (1966) who presented a key to the Indo-Pacific genera, and Whitehead (1973) who reviewed the species from India. Wongratana (1983) discussed the synonymies of a number of Indo-Pacific species. Many of the Australian species are treated in Wongratana et al. (1999). Nelson (1970) considered family relationships.

Whitehead and Wongratana kindly reviewed this family account.

General References

Hildebrand, S.F. 1963. Family Engraulidae. pp. 152-249 figs 25-59 in Olsen, Y.H. (ed.). Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Memoir. Sears Foundation of Marine Research 1(3): 1-630

Nelson, G.J. 1970. The hypobranchial apparatus of teleostean fishes of the families Engraulidae and Chirocentridae. American Museum Novitates 2410: 1-30 figs 1-11

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1973. A synopsis of the clupeoid fishes of India. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India 14(1): 160-256 figs 1-68 [1972]

Whitehead, P.J.P., Boeseman, M. & Wheeler, A.C. 1966. The types of Bleeker's Indo-Pacific elopoid and clupeoid fishes. Zoologische Verhandelingen (Leiden) 84: 1-159 pls 1-19

Whitehead, P.J.P., Nelson, G.J. & Wongratana, T. 1988. FAO Species Catalogue. Clupeoid fishes of the world (Suborder Clupeoidei). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the herrings, sardines, pilchards, sprats, anchovies and wolf-herrings. Engraulididae. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. No. 125 Vol. 7 Pt 2. 305-579 pp.

Wongratana, T. 1983. Diagnoses of 24 new species and proposal of a new name for a species of Indo-Pacific clupeoid fishes. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 29(4): 385-407 figs 1-25

Wongratana, T., Munroe, T.A. & Nizinski, M.S. 1999. Family Engraulidae. pp. 1698-1753 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068.

Common Name References

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [67] (FAO) (Anchovies)

History of changes