California Anchovy 



projecting far beyond lower jaw; maxillary narrow, rounded behind, 

 extending to angle of preopercle; gillrakers fine, long, and very 

 numerous; abdomen slightly compressed; scales adherent; origin of 

 dorsal slightly behind middle of body; ventrals very small; pectorals 

 rather long. Colour, silvery, side with an indistinct bluish band. 



GENUS ENGRAULIS CUVIER 



This genus contains those spindle-shaped anchovies of the north 

 and south Temperate zones which have the body little compressed, 

 the sides rounded, the vertebrae in increased number (44 to 47), the 

 flesh rather dark, and tender and somewhat oily but not translucent, 

 the bones soft, the appearance and the flesh resembling that of the 

 sardines. 



Only one species within our limits. 



California Anchovy 



Engraulis mordax Girard 



This species reaches a length of 7 inches and occurs on our 

 Pacific Coast from south Alaska to Lower California. It is extremely 

 abundant, swimming in large schools. It is one of the largest of the 

 anchovies and the most valuable food-species. The flesh is rich and 

 oily, comparatively dark, and easily torn, as in the sardines. 



Head 3^; depth 5^; D. 14; A. 22; Br. 14; scales 40; vertebrae 45. 

 Body spindle-shaped, form resembling that of a sardine, little com- 

 pressed, rounded above, slightly carinated below, but not serrated; 

 head long, anteriorly compressed, the snout pointed and protruding; 

 head nearly twice as long as deep; eye large, very near the tip of the 

 snout; maxillary extending beyond root of mandible; small teeth on 

 jaws; opercle deeper than long, placed obliquely; gillrakers much 

 longer than eye. Colour, bluish above, silvery on side and below, 

 not translucent; no silvery lateral band. 



The 2 species of Cetengraulis (C. mysticetus and C. edentulus) 

 and the one each of Pterengraulis (P. atherinoides) and Lycengraulh 

 (L. grossidens) are small tropical fishes of little value. 



