Bay anchovy

Anchoa mitchilli is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae, the anchovies. Its common names include bay anchovy and common anchovy. It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. It is one of the most common fish species along the coastlines of the western Atlantic.

Distribution

This species is distributed in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico along the eastern coasts of North America from Maine to Yucatán. It does not occur in the West Indies. It is well known in the Chesapeake Bay, where it is the most abundant fish.

It occurs in a wide range of water temperatures and salinities, including some hypersaline environments. It does not tolerate low-oxygen waters and easily asphyxiates when deprived of oxygen.

This fish spends most of its time cruising the water column. It can also be found over bare substrates at the ocean floor and in tide pools and surf zones. It can live in muddy, brackish waters. It rarely enters waters deeper than 25 metres (80 ft).