European Anchovy

Q: Can you eat European Anchovy?

Intensely savory, oily flesh with high umami and salt-cured depth; rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Essential in Mediterranean cuisines — used in pasta, pizza, salads, and as anchovy paste.

Q: How big does European Anchovy get?

European Anchovy can grow up to 20.0 cm long and weigh 0.05 kg.

Q: Where is European Anchovy found?

Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, and eastern Atlantic from the British Isles south to South Africa. Forms large pelagic shoals on continental shelf waters; key spawning grounds in the Adriatic, Bay of Biscay, and Azov Sea. Neritic, estuaries

Q: Is European Anchovy endangered?

The conservation status of European Anchovy is Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List.

Q: What family does European Anchovy belong to?

European Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) belongs to the family Engraulidae (Anchovies) in the order Clupeiformes (Herrings & Sardines).

Abstract

Fermented into the garum of ancient Rome and still central to Mediterranean cooking, Engraulis encrasicolus is a small schooling fish of outsized ecological and culinary importance. A metallic blue-green back gives way to a bright silver-blue lateral stripe and a silvery-white belly on a slender, large-scaled body reaching 20 cm. Large pelagic shoals range through the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the eastern Atlantic from the British Isles to South Africa, with principal spawning grounds in the Adriatic, the Bay of Biscay and the Sea of Azov. The oily, intensely savoury flesh is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and salt-cures to a deep umami used in pasta, pizza and anchovy paste. The IUCN Red List assesses the species as Least Concern.