argentine anchovy
Engraulis anchoita
Schooling sardine that lives from northern Rio de Janeiro to Argentina, heavily fished by commercial fleets. It has little use for anglers using rods.
Also called: sardinha-argentina, anchoíta, argentine anchovy
- maximum
- 17 cm
- record/max.
- 0.0 kg
- depth
- 30–200 m
who is the argentine anchovy
Fish of the family Engraulidae, the anchovies and manjubas. It reaches 17 cm and forms dense schools, between 30 and 90 m in summer and between 100 and 200 m in winter. It lives in coastal shelf waters, near the coast and up to 800 km from it. As a juvenile it eats zooplankton, and later it eats more phytoplankton. It is heavily fished by commercial fleets and is of little interest to sport fishing.
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 argentine anchovy; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Makes north-south migrations and also moves between the coast and the open sea.
identification
The back is dark blue, almost black, the flanks and belly are silvery white, and all the fins are transparent. The snout is protruding and pointed, and the teeth are small and numerous. The manjuba (Anchoviella lepidentostole), which lives in the same region, has a broad silver band on the flank, as large as the eye or larger, and that is the comparison to make.
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
Lives in the South Atlantic, from northern Rio de Janeiro to the Gulf of San Jorge in Argentina, and also in Uruguay.
Habitat: Dense schools on the continental shelf, 30 to 200 m, near the coast and up to 800 km from it.
coast
rules for the argentine anchovy
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
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.
It has no spines or venom and poses no danger to people.
in the kitchen
Eaten fresh or canned.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00479, b = 3.14; 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 anchoita (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 anchoitaNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
