Bay Anchovy
Anchoa mitchilli
The bay anchovy is a small, translucent fish with a silvery body. (Samford University)
The bay anchovy is a small, translucent fish that lives in schools throughout the Chesapeake Bay. It is the most abundant fish in the Bay.
Appearance:
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Slender, silvery-green, translucent body
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Silver stripe along the sides
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Large mouth
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Single dorsal fin on the back
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Forked tail fin
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Grows to 4 inches long
Habitat:
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Common in the Chesapeake Bay’s shallows during warmer months
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Moves to deep waters in winter
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Lives in schools
Range:
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Abundant year-round throughout the Bay and the lower reaches of rivers
Feeding:
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Feeds mostly on zooplankton, such as fish larvae
Predators:
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A critically important food source for larger predators such as bluefish, weakfish and striped bass
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
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Spawns in May-September, with a peak in July
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Life span is believed to be longer than one year
Other Facts:
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The most abundant and commonly found fish in the Chesapeake Bay
Sources and Additional Information:
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Fishes of Chesapeake Bay by Edward O. Murdy, Ray S. Birdsong and John A. Musick
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Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
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Chesapeake Bay: Nature of the Estuary, A Field Guide by Christopher P. White
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Bay Anchovy – Chesapeake Bay Ecological Foundation
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Anchoa mitchilli – Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce
