European Anchovy


European Anchovy

 

(Engraulis encrasicholus), a fish of the family Engraulidae of the order Clupeiformes. The fish is up to 15 cm long. It is found in waters south of the North Sea; in the USSR it is found in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Traveling in schools, the European anchovy completes vertical daily migrations and migrations from wintering sites to spawning and feeding sites. It reaches maturity in its second year. Spawning occurs in batches from May to September. The European anchovy feeds on zooplankton and phyto-plankton and has a life-span of approximately three years. This fish is an important commercial product.

REFERENCES

Promyslovye ryby SSSR.[Moscow,] 1949.
Nikol’skii, G. V. Chastnaia ikhtiologiia, 2nd ed. Moscow, 1954.