Spotty-face anchovy
📖 Overview
A pelagic, schooling species found in coastal waters. Caught mainly with seines (beach and purse), traps often using light, incidentally with bottom trawls. Marketed fresh, dried, dried-salted or made into fish meal, fish sauce fish balls and used as bait .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 18 - 20. Belly with 5 to 7 small needle-like pre-pelvic scutes. Maxilla tip pointed, reaching to hind border of pre-operculum, the latter almost always convex, rounded. Pelvic fin tips only rarely reaching to below dorsal fin origin. Numerous black spots below level of eye and on tip of lower jaw, by which it is generally distinguished from other species; a dark patch behind occiput.: elongated; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Spotty-face anchovy is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Spotty-face anchovy is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; freshwater; brackish; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous ; depth range 0 - 50 m . Tropical; 25°N - 21°S, 71°E - 151°E south to Queensland; perhaps even more widespread).
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Waite's Anchovy is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 18.8 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 296 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Spotty-face anchovy has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Spotty-face anchovy · Spottyface Anchovy · Waite's Anchovy |
| 🌍CES | sardel Waiteova |
| 🇫🇷French | Anchois joues tachetées |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | boquerón de manchas |
| 🌍THA | ปลากะตักเหลือง |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 韋氏側帶小公魚 · 魏氏小公魚 · 魩仔 |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchoviella bataviensis | Hardenberg | 1933 | Synonym |
| Anchoviella waitei | Jordan & Seale | 1926 | Synonym |
| Stolephorus bataviensis | Hardenberg | 1933 | Synonym |
| Stolephorus insularis bataviensis | Hardenberg | 1933 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 7 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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