pacific anchoveta
Cetengraulis mysticetus
Anchovy of estuaries and bays of the eastern Pacific, forming large schools over mudflats. It goes to fishmeal and oil and serves as tuna bait.
Also called: manjuba-do-pacífico, anchoveta, carduma, anchoveta bocona, pacific anchoveta
- maximum
- 22 cm
- depth
- 0–32 m
who is the pacific anchoveta
Anchovy of the family Engraulidae, with a large, deep head and a short, pointed snout. It reaches 22 cm, and its common size is 12 cm, measured without the tail. It lives near the coast, mostly over mudflats, from 0 to 32 m deep, and enters estuaries and brackish waters. It forms large schools. Juveniles eat mostly diatoms, along with small crustaceans, and adults also feed on bottom diatoms. It lays eggs. It goes to fishmeal and fish oil and serves as tuna bait.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the pacific anchoveta; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Anchovy with an elongated, compressed body, a large, deep head and a short, pointed snout. The silvery flank band appears in juveniles and disappears at about 8 to 10 cm. On the Mexican coast, the California anchovy (Engraulis mordax) has a very pointed snout. The Peruvian anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), from the south, has a long, prominent snout.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Eastern Pacific of Latin America, from the Gulf of California and the southwestern coast of Baja California to northern Peru, in coastal waters and estuaries.
Habitat: Shallow coastal waters over mudflats, in large schools, down to 32 m deep.
rules for the pacific anchoveta
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Harmless. It is seldom caught with a rod and mainly appears as bait for other fisheries.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00525, b = 3.26; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Cetengraulis mysticetus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Cetengraulis mysticetusNames by country and language.
