Australian anchovy (Engraulis australis)

Scientific name: Engraulis australis White, 1790

Australian anchovy (Engraulis australis)

The Australian anchovy (Engraulis australis) is a brackish-water fish of the family Engraulidae.

Biology

Found mostly inshore: chiefly in bays, inlets and estuaries, sometimes in low salinities. Older individuals tend to move out to sea in winter and back in the spring. Forms compact schools much preyed upon by larger fishes, common dolphins and birds. Feeds on plankton. Spawns in inlets, bays and also estuaries, probably throughout the year but mainly in late spring to early autumn and especially about November to February. The eggs are ellipsoidal. Utilized as fish paste.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Engraulis australis
Family
Engraulidae (Anchovies)
Order
Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
15.0
Common length
12.0
Depth range
31–70 m (102–230 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; depth range 31 - 70 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Southwest Pacific: Australia (from Queensland at about Cape Capricorn south to southern Tasmania; entire southern coast of Australia, except for Great Australian Bight, and north to Shark Bay, Western Australia), including Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island; and New Zealand (most of the North Island and all but the southeast coast of the South Island).
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; bait: usually
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.39; tm=1; tmax=6)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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