Anchoviella blackburni Hildebrand, 1943
Blackburns's anchovy
photo by FAO

Family:  Engraulidae (Anchovies), subfamily: Engraulinae
Max. size:  3 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  pelagic-neritic; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 50 m
Distribution:  Western Central Atlantic: southern Caribbean on the northern coast of Venezuela. Possibly also Surinam.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 22-24. Body fairly slender, somewhat compressed. Snout short, a little over 1/2 eye diameter; maxilla short, tip bluntly rounded, failing to reach pre-operculum by about 1/2 pupil diameter; gill cover canals of panamensis-type. Anal fin long, its origin a little in advance of midpoint of dorsal fin base. A silver stripe along flank, about 1/2 to 3/4 eye diameter (Ref. 189). Row of dark spots along base of anal (Ref. 37032).
Biology:  Occurs in coastal waters, but also in small lagoons and in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. More specimens and data needed.
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 17 July 2017 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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