anchoveta
Engraulis ringens
Anchovy that forms huge schools along the coasts of Ecuador, Peru and Chile. It is the basis of the region's fishmeal and fish oil fishery.
Also called: manjuba-peruana, anchoveta, anchoa, chicora, peruvian anchovy
- maximum
- 20 cm
- depth
- 3–80 m
who is the anchoveta
Anchovy of the family Engraulidae, with a long, slender, round body and a long, protruding snout. It reaches 20 cm, and its common size is 14 cm. It lives in huge schools, mostly near the surface, in waters 3 to 80 m deep and up to 80 km from shore. It is a filter feeder and feeds on plankton, mainly diatoms, which in some studies made up as much as 98% of its diet. It lays ellipsoid eggs. Seabirds and pelicans depend on it. Almost all of the catch goes to fishmeal and fish oil.
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 anchoveta; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- The schools feed seabirds and coastal pelicans.
identification
Anchovy with a long, slender body, round in cross section, with a bright blue or green back and a long, prominent snout. Juveniles have a silvery flank band that fades with age. In Ecuador and Peru, the Pacific anchovy (Cetengraulis mysticetus) has a short snout and a deeper head, and the difference in snout is the main sign.
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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
Southeastern Pacific, from the Galapagos, Ecuador, to Peru and Chile, as far as Chiloé, with a record at Easter Island, in coastal waters down to 80 m.
Habitat: Surface and coastal waters down to 80 m deep, in huge schools.
rules for the 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. A schooling fish with delicate skin, almost all of it used for fishmeal and oil: handle it with a wet hand if you are returning it.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00457, b = 3.13; 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: Engraulis ringens (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Engraulis ringensNames by country and language.
