Anchovy
| Anchovies Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Californian anchovy (Engraulis mordax) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Clupeiformes |
| Suborder: | Clupeoidei |
| Superfamily: | Engrauloidea Grande, 1985 |
| Family: | Engraulidae Gill, 1861 |
| Subfamilies and genera | |
|
See text | |
An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water.
More than 140 species are placed in 16 genera; they are found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, and in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Anchovies are usually classified as oily fish.