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Illustration of Californian anchovy
fishing forecast

californian anchovy

Engraulis mordax · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the californian anchovy

how to recognize it

Anchovy with a very pointed snout, with the maxilla reaching almost to the rear edge of the gill cover. The silvery flank band appears in juveniles and disappears with growth. On the Mexican coast, the Pacific anchovy (Cetengraulis mysticetus) has a short snout and a deeper head. The Peruvian anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), from the south, has a long, prominent snout.

Also called: manjuba-da-califórnia, anchoveta norteña, anchoveta de california, californian anchovy

don't confuse with:

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Coastal and shelf waters, in tight schools, down to 219 m deep.

From Vancouver Island, Canada, to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California; in Latin America, only in Mexico, in coastal waters and bays.

rules for the californian anchovy

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.

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0055, b = 3.08; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

more about the californian anchovy

Anchovy of the family Engraulidae, with a very pointed snout and a silvery band along the flank that fades with age. It reaches 24.8 cm and 68 g, and its common size is 15 cm. It lives in coastal waters, mostly up to 30 km from shore, but it appears up to 480 km out, and enters bays and coves. It forms tight schools and feeds on krill, copepods and crustacean larvae. It spawns throughout the year, mostly in winter and early spring. It goes to fishmeal, oil and tuna bait, and is sometimes canned.

Family: Engraulidae · forage fish

fun facts

  • Spawns inside coves or in open sea, mostly at night.

in the kitchen

Sometimes canned, but most goes to fishmeal and fish oil and to tuna bait.

similar species

sources and references (2)

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Engraulis mordax (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Engraulis mordaxNames by country and language.