Northern Anchovy
Engraulis mordax
Northern Anchovy (Engraulis mordax) is a small schooling forage fish of the eastern North Pacific. It feeds mainly on plankton and is a key prey species for larger fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.
识别要点
- Slender, silvery body with a sharp, pointed snout
- Large mouth with the upper jaw extending back behind the eye
- Single dorsal fin set midbody and a deeply forked tail
栖息地
Coastal pelagic waters over the continental shelf, often in bays, estuaries, and nearshore upwelling zones; schools commonly stay in the upper water column and around bait concentrations.
饵料备注
Rarely targeted as a sportfish; if hooked, small sabiki rigs, tiny jigs, or bits of shrimp/squid can take them. They are more often used as live bait or caught for baitfish bait pens.
行为
Highly schooling and surface-oriented, especially at night and near lights. It filters zooplankton and phytoplankton, and schools may shift with currents, temperature, and plankton blooms.
注意事项
Check local regulations before harvest; anchovy may be restricted as bait in some areas. It is a small forage fish and generally low in mercury, but do not eat fish from polluted harbor waters.
钓法备注
Use ultra-light tackle and very small hooks if collecting legally. Fish around piers, baitballs, harbor lights, and current lines; chumming with ground sardine or fish meal can hold schools nearby.