Several different species of anchovies occur in different parts of the world. The most abundant anchovy species are likely the Peruvian anchoveta, Engraulis ringens, and the European anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus. Engraulis ringens, found along the coast of Peru and Chile, is the largest of the anchovies and accounts for the majority of anchovies fished globally.[4] Engraulis encrasicolus is found in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea and also supports sizable anchovy fisheries.[4]
Anchovies are schooling fish that consume diatoms, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and small fish. They feed throughout the water column, but they are most commonly seen near the surface.[5][6] Anchovies serve as an important food source for a variety of marine life, including marine mammals, seabirds, and large fish such as tuna and swordfish. They also play an important role in the marine food chain by transferring energy from zooplankton to larger predators.[4][7][8]
Fishing plays a major role in the global economy, and anchovies are one of the most important species caught, after saury and sardines. In 2017, the FAO estimated the total global capture of anchovies, excluding Engraulis ringens, to be 5.3 million tonnes, with Peru and China accounting for the largest share of the catch.[4] Engraulis ringens is not routinely monitored in the same way, but it is one of the most commercially important fish in the world, with an annual catch that typically exceeds 5 million tonnes.[4][9][10]
Anchovies are popular food fish in many parts of the world. The Peruvian anchoveta, Engraulis ringens, accounted for more than 20 percent of the global marine fish catch in 1995, most of which was used for manufacturing fish meal.[11] Fish meal and fish oil produced from anchovies are an important source of nutrition in fish farming and aquaculture, accounting for as much as 50% of the total fish meal and fish oil available.[4]