Japanese anchovy

Engraulis japonicus

A small schooling anchovy of East Asian coasts. It is familiar in Japanese foods such as niboshi and shirasu and is a key forage fish.

Key facts

Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) is a filter feeder animal classified as Fish · Clupeiformes · Engraulidae.
Primary habitats are coast · open ocean, with a range across Pacific Ocean · Palearctic.
Activity is cathemeral, sociality is herd, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
A small schooling anchovy of East Asian coasts.
Occurs in shallow coastal waters from Japan and Korea to China and Taiwan.

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Occurs in shallow coastal waters from Japan and Korea to China and Taiwan. Schools use surface and midwater layers near shore.

The body is slender and silvery, with a large mouth and short lower jaw. The back has a pale blue-green sheen.

It swims in dense schools and shifts along coasts with season and water temperature. Schools turn rapidly when predators approach.

It filters phytoplankton, zooplankton, and small crustaceans from the water. Larvae depend on tiny planktonic food.

Adults release buoyant eggs into the water. Larvae grow as coastal plankton, with spawning strongest in warmer seasons.

It feeds seabirds, tuna, bonito, and many larger fishes. Catches can fluctuate with currents and coastal water temperature.