Fish Identification Photos: Northern Anchovy, California Anchovy, Engraulis mordax: The Northern Anchovy is the most abundant anchovy found on the West Coast. It is characterized by a slender, elongated, rounded body, long sharply pointed snout, short anal fin base, short pectoral fins, and the young fish have a silver stripe along the side.

A key identification characteristic of the Northern Anchovy is that the anal fin origin is under the end of the dorsal fin. Northern Anchovy is normally between 4 and 6 inches in length, with a maximum of 9 inches.

The Northern Anchovy is a member of the Engraulidae or Anchovy Family of forage fishes that form huge, tight-knit schools and are an important food source for predatory fishes, birds and mammals.

The Northern Anchovy is found in the first 1,000 feet of the water column, but collects near the surface at night. The Northern Anchovy species can easily be confused with the Slender Anchovy, Anchoa exigua (narrow silver stripe along flank with the anal fin originating under the center of the dorsal fin); and the Gulf of California Slender Anchovy, Anchoa ischana (silver stripe along the flank that is narrow at the front and broad at the tail, with a short based anal fin originating at the end of the dorsal fin).

In Mexican waters, the Northern Anchovy is only found along the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula, from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas.

Northern Anchovy, Engraulis mordax: As served at Mike's Bait Barge, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Description and photo by Gene Kira.