Pacific Anchovy

The Pacific Anchovy, also known as the Northern Anchovy (Engraulis mordax), is a small schooling fish abundant along the eastern Pacific coast of North America, ranging from British Columbia to Baja California. It is one of the most numerous fish species in the California Current ecosystem, forming vast schools that support major commercial fisheries and serve as a foundational prey species for a wide range of marine predators, including seabirds, marine mammals, and larger fish. Population abundance fluctuates over multi-year cycles linked to ocean conditions, often alternating with related sardine populations in a pattern well documented off the California coast.

Pacific Anchovies are easily recognized by features typical of the anchovy family, distinct from sardines and herrings.

• Long, pointed snout overhanging a large mouth that extends well past the eye
• Bright silvery lateral stripe running along the midline of the flank from head to tail
• Blue-green iridescent back and a slender, rounded, only lightly compressed body
• Deeply forked tail and a single dorsal fin set near the middle of the back
• Typical adult length 10-18 cm, smaller and more slender than co-occurring sardines

Pacific Anchovies inhabit coastal and nearshore shelf waters of the eastern Pacific, from British Columbia south to Baja California Sur, with core populations concentrated in the California Current system. They favor cool, upwelling-influenced surface waters rich in plankton, typically occurring from the surface down to around 100 meters, and often move closer inshore, including into bays and estuaries, especially as juveniles. Seasonal movements track ocean productivity, with schools shifting distribution in response to upwelling intensity and water temperature, and populations expanding or contracting significantly across multi-year climate cycles.

Pacific Anchovies form dense, fast-moving schools and feed by filtering phytoplankton and zooplankton from the water using fine gill rakers, sometimes also actively selecting individual prey items. Spawning occurs over an extended season, peaking in winter and spring, with pelagic eggs released in coastal waters that drift and hatch within a few days. The species grows quickly and has a relatively short lifespan, with population size highly responsive to ocean conditions. As one of the most important forage fish in the California Current ecosystem, Pacific Anchovies sustain large numbers of predatory fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, and their abundance is a key indicator of regional ecosystem health.