Californian anchovy
| Californian anchovy | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Clupeiformes |
| Family: | Engraulidae |
| Genus: | Engraulis |
| Species: | E. mordax
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| Binomial name | |
| Engraulis mordax Girard, 1854
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| Synonyms | |
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The Californian anchovy or northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax)[2] is a species of anchovy found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from Mexico to British Columbia.[3] It is a small, Clupeoid fish with a large mouth and a long, laterally compressed body, which strongly resembles the European Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) with only slight differences in girth[4][5]. They have a euryhaline lifestyle defined by regular migrations between bays and coastal waters for both spawning and foraging.[4] Like Pacific sardines (Sardinops sagax), they compose a large fraction of the marine biomass in waters off the west coast of North America, where they are a vital keystone species in pelagic waters. [4][6] However, they are subject to seasonal boom & bust cycles that are chiefly caused by changes in water temperature and climate, regularly switching places as the forage fish of prominence with the sardine during years defined by colder water temperatures, which makes them vulnerable to climate change.[7][8][9] They have a small commercial fishery; mainly used as bait for fishermen or fish meal, with a dedicated small following as a food fish in San Francisco.[6][10]
Relationship with humans
[edit]Commercial fishing
[edit]As sardine populations declined in the Pacific during the 1940s and 50's, fish packers in America started canning the more abundant local anchovies. Total hauls increased over this time from 960 tons in 1946 to 9,464 tons in 1947 and peaking at almost 43,000 tons in 1953. From 1949 to 1955, they were restricted for all uses but bait fish in California.[1] In 2010, reported American hauls totaled 2,100 metric tons. Most Californian anchovies today are fished for use in animal feed and as bait fish.[6]
Recreational fishing
[edit]They are taken by anglers for use as bait or for personal consumption.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Di Dario, F. (2021). "Engraulis mordax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T183856A102904070. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T183856A102904070.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "Engraulis mordax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ "Seafood Handbook - Anchovy". SeafoodSource.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2012-09-06.
- ^ a b c Raub, Tasha Davis; Eriq DelaTorre; Aaron. "Engraulis mordax (northern anchovy)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Anchovy Family". www.clovegarden.com. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ a b c "Northern Anchovy". NOAA FishWatch. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ Swalethorp, Rasmus; Landry, Michael R.; Semmens, Brice X.; Ohman, Mark D.; Aluwihare, Lihini; Chargualaf, Dereka; Thompson, Andrew R. (2023-12-05). "Anchovy boom and bust linked to trophic shifts in larval diet". Nature Communications. 14 (1): 7412. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-42966-0. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 10698165. PMID 38052790.
- ^ Lecomte, F.; Grant, W. S.; Dodson, J. J.; RodríGuez-SáNchez, R.; Bowen, B. W. (August 2004). "Living with uncertainty: genetic imprints of climate shifts in East Pacific anchovy ( Engraulis mordax ) and sardine ( Sardinops sagax )". Molecular Ecology. 13 (8): 2169–2182. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2004.02229.x. ISSN 0962-1083. PMID 15245392.
- ^ MacCall, Alec D.; Sydeman, William J.; Davison, Peter C.; Thayer, Julie A. (2016-03-01). "Recent collapse of northern anchovy biomass off California". Fisheries Research. 175: 87–94. doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2015.11.013. ISSN 0165-7836.
- ^ Bechky, Aviva (8 August 2024). "The S.F. Bay is teeming with this tiny fish, adored by local chefs". Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ Daniello, Capt. Vincent. "A Guide to Saltwater Live Baits". sportfishingmag.com. Sport Fishing Magazine. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
External links
[edit]
- Photos of Californian anchovy on Sealife Collection
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