Anchoviella guianensis (Eigenmann, 1912)
Guyana anchovy
Anchoviella guianensis
photo by Holm, E.

Family:  Engraulidae (Anchovies), subfamily: Engraulinae
Max. size:  11.3 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  pelagic; freshwater; brackish, potamodromous
Distribution:  South America: Orinoco system, as far up as Puerto Gaitan on Manacacias River in Colombia, certainly in delta; lower parts of rivers of Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana; lower part of Amazon, but lower limits not known; upper Amazon specimens are not this species.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 14-18. Body fairly slender, moderately compressed. Snout short, a little over 1/2 eye diameter; maxilla moderate, tip bluntly rounded, failing to reach pre-operculum by 1/3 to 1/2 pupil diameter; gill cover canals of walkeri-type. Anal fin short, its origin a little behind base of last dorsal fin ray. A silver stripe along flank, widening to about 1/2 eye diameter over anal fin base (Ref. 189).
Biology:  Occurs in estuaries and rivers, apparently tolerating only very low salinities. Breeds in December: a female of 5.8 cm SL having 2,000 eggs was caught from the Orinoco River mouth (Ref. 12225)..
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 06 March 2017 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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