Engraulis australis
Australian anchovy | Bluebait | Frogmouth Pilchard | Smig | Southern Anchovy | Whitebait
Same Genus
Distribution
Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Silver body, large mouth that extends back behind the eye. Forms huge schools which can be located from the surface by seabirds circling and diving and ruffled surface water. Predators concentrate schooling fishes into 'bait balls', which provide an important food source for many large pelagic animals.
Information
Max Size: 15 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 16.8-24°C
Depth: 0-70m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated
Occurrence: Infrequent (1.3% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Large aggregations (323 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney