ABSTRACT
Engraulids are typically marine coastal pelagic fishes, but a few are estuarine and some may enter freshwater (Whitehead et al. 1988). Species typically found in freshwater are excluded from this review. Most, if not all, anchovies school. They have buoyant eggs and pelagic larvae, but little is known about the early life stages. Eggs are spherical to elliptical, with a segmented yolk, small perivitelline space and lack an oil globule. Larvae usually hatch between 2.0-3.5 mm long, are elongate and typically have about 40-45 myomeres, a prominent swim bladder, convoluted muscular bands along the hindgut, overlapping (or nearly so) dorsal and anal fins, and pigment concentrated ventrally along the trunk and tail. The anus is initially positioned at about 75% SL, but preanal length decreases as dorsal and anal fins migrate a few myomeres cephlad during transformation. The distal edge of the maxilla is broadly rounded in larvae and remains so in some species, but becomes broadly pointed in Anchovia clupeoides, and bluntly pointed in Anchoa spp and Lycengraulis grossidens. Anchovies lack fin spines. Transformation usually begins by about 20 mm SL. Sequence of fin development is typically D & A, C, P2, P1.
