atlantic anchoveta
Cetengraulis edentulus
Schooling coastal fish, from the Caribbean to southern Brazil, that enters lagoons and estuaries. It is hardly ever caught on a rod, but it is used as bait.
Also called: xangô, xangô-folha, xangô-magro, bocón, atlantic anchoveta
- maximum
- 20 cm
- record/max.
- 0.1 kg
who is the atlantic anchoveta
Fish of the family Engraulidae, the anchovy and manjuba family. It reaches 20.5 cm and forms very large schools near the beach, in shallow sea, lagoons and estuaries. It tolerates water with little salt, from 10 to 31 parts per thousand, as in the Santa Cruz canal in Pernambuco. It filters plankton, probably phytoplankton and zooplankton. Its large schools close to the beach make it a frequently used bait. In angling it has little commercial importance and is rarely the target of rod 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 atlantic anchoveta; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Spawns off the coast of the Araya Peninsula, in Venezuela, from October to January.
identification
Large, tall head, with a short, pointed snout. The marks that help identify it are dark dots on the top of the head and snout, and a row of large black dots at the base of the anal fin. The silvery flank stripe fades by about 10 cm. It looks like the boca-torta (Anchovia clupeoides) and the manjuba (Anchoviella lepidentostole), which live in the same region, so check these dots.
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
In Latin America, it occurs from Cuba and Costa Rica to Colombia and Venezuela, in Trinidad and in Brazil, down to Itapema, in Santa Catarina.
Habitat: Shallow coastal waters, in large schools, close to the beach, in lagoons and estuaries.
coast
rules for the atlantic 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.
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.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0049, b = 3.24; 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 edentulus (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 edentulusNames 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.
