Cuban anchovy (Anchoa cubana)

Scientific name: Anchoa cubana Poey, 1868

The Cuban anchovy (Anchoa cubana) is a marine fish of the family Engraulidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 16 - 21. Snout pointed about 3/4 eye diameter; maxilla long, tip pointed, projecting at least 1/2 eye diameter beyond second supra-maxilla, reaching beyond hind border of pre-operculum; gill cover canals of walkeri-type. Anal fin origin below midpoint of dorsal fin base; anus nearer to pelvic fin tips than to anal fin origin. Silver stripe along flank, about pupil diameter, lost on preservation.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Anchoa cubana
Family: Engraulidae (Anchovies)
Order: Clupeiformes (Herrings)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 10.0
Common length: 8.0
Depth range: 0–60 m (0–197 ft)
Environment: Marine; pelagic-neritic; depth range 0 - 60 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Western Atlantic: North Carolina, USA to northern Gulf of Mexico; Cuba and probably throughout the Greater and Lesser Antilles; Yucatan, Mexico to at least Santos, Brazil.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; bait: usually
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026