996 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
full of roe off Southport (Lancashire) on the 9th June, 
1 87 8 The actual course of the spawning has not yet 
been observed; but the eggs, which are easily distin- 
guished from the more or less spherical ova of other 
fishes by their ellipsoidal form, and which measure 
0‘7* — 1'5 C mm., have been found on several occasions. 
Ehrenbaum met with them in large numbers at the 
beginning of June at the surface and in open water 
9 — 10 fathoms deep off the island of Norderney (East 
Friesland). In the innermost parts of the Zuyder Zee 
Anchovy-eggs have been found; but the actual spawn- 
ing is probably performed in salt water. According 
to Wenkebach (Ehrenbaum), the ova are hatched in 
three days. According to Hoffmann, the fry mea- 
sure 32 — 55 mm. at the beginning of August, and 50 
— 100 mm. at the beginning of September. A Dutch 
Anchovy-salter stated too that in August and Septem- 
ber such enormous quantities of young Anchovies 50 
— ■ 7 0 mm. long are often taken that they are salted 
and consumed in the same way as the larger ones, in 
spite of the fact that a firkin contains 8,000—10,000 
of these small fish, whereas only 3,200 — 4,000 full- 
grown Anchovies go to the barrel. Ehrenbaum is, how- 
ever, of opinion that these small Anchovies belong to 
the spawning of the preceding year'', and assumes that 
larvae less than 3 cm. long grow very slowly during 
their first, winter and spring in the sea. If this opi- 
nion is correct, the Anchovy does not attain sexual 
maturity until its third year, which we should else 
date a year earlier. 
The food of the Anchovy consists principally of 
Copepodce, Mysidce, and young shrimps. 
The Anchovy is taken partly in fine-meshed drift- 
nets, sailing-seines, and shore-seines, partly with hoop- 
nets and stationary engines, such as ryssjor (traps) etc. 
In the Mediterranean the fishery is carried on chiefly by 
torchlight, the glare enticing the Anchovies to the boat, 
where the fisherman splashes in the water so as to 
frighten them into the meshes of the nets spread round 
about. The value of the fishery is generally much less 
than that of the Pilchard -fishery ; but the Anchovy 
commands a higher price than the Pilchard, and in 
certain places the Anchovy-fishery is consequently the 
more valuable. The annual take of Anchovies on the 
Palermo coast is stated" at 400,000 kilo., valued at the 
same number of francs; while the Pilchard-fishery brings 
in 600,000 kilo, of fish, but only 200,000 francs. In 
France the take of Anchovies for 1881 was nearly 
6,000,000 kilo., valued at rather more than 500,000 
francs; whereas in 1882 the quantity fell to 1,500,000 
kilo., but the price rose to somewhat over 700,000 
francs '. Holland had an average annual export for 
the years 1883 — 1890 of nearly 1,750,000 kilo, or 
35,000 barrels of salt Anchovies, which fetched a price 
per barrel of 8 — 78 Dutch guldens * * 6 ' (on an average, 
according to Ehrenbaum, 20 — 30 guldens). 
The Anchovy is recommended not only by its 
fleshiness and fatness, but also by its flavour, a pecu- 
liar bitter taste, which combined with its saltness tick- 
les the gourmand’s palate and whets his appetite. This 
bitterness, which becomes disagreeable unless the head 
as well as the liver and intestine be removed before 
salting, was prized by the Romans, to whom Anchovy 
sauce ( garurn ) was known. From this too the ancient 
Greeks derived their name for the fish, a name which 
the species still retains, encrasicholus (with the gall in 
the head). 
a Both Day (1. c.) and Olsen ( Piscatorial Atlas), however, state that in English waters the Anchovy spawns in autumn, September 
— December. 
6 According to Wenkebach, quoted by Ehrenbaum. 
c According to Hoffman, quoted by Ehrenbaum. 
d On the assumption that a growth from 4 — 32 mm. is impossible during the interval between the end of the spawning-season and 
the beginning of August. But this growth is not so inconceivable from the beginning of the spawning-season. 
e Esposiz. intern, di Pesca, Berlino 1880, Sez. Ital., Gatal., p. LXVII. 
f Statistique des peclies maritimes , 1882, pp. 235 and 237. 
g A Dutch gulden = Is. 8d. 
