Japanese anchovy
Engraulis japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1846
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) is a schooling fish in the family Engraulidae. It is common in the northwest Pacific Ocean, occurring in the Sea of Okhotsk, the Sea of Japan, the east coast of Japan, the Yellow Sea, and East China Sea. This species lives for 2–3 years, similar to the European anchovy.
At maturity the Japanese anchovy has a length of 10 to 18 centimetres (3.9 to 7.1 in) with a common length of 14 centimetres (5.5 in). They can reach a maximum weight of 45 grams (1.6 oz).
In South Jeolla Province, South Korea, this species is fished using a traditional fixed shore net fishing method called nangjangmang (long bag set net). It is fished elsewhere in South Korea too, as well as in China and Japan.
Wikipedia contributors, Japanese anchovy; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:00:23.361332+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Engraulis japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1846
- Name authority
- Temminck & Schlegel, 1846
- Common name
- Japanese anchovy
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Clupeiformes
- Family
- Engraulidae
- Genus
- Engraulis
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderClupeiformes
- suborderClupeoidei Bleeker, 1859
- familyEngraulidae Gill, 1861
- subfamilyEngraulinae Gill, 1861
- genusEngraulis Cuvier, 1816
- speciesEngraulis japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1846
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Engraulis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Southern African anchovyEngraulis capensis Gilchrist, 1913 | EngraulidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| European anchovyEngraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758) | EngraulidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| silver anchovyEngraulis eurystole (Swain & Meek, 1884) | EngraulidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Californian anchovyEngraulis mordax Girard, 1854 | EngraulidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Argentine anchovyEngraulis anchoita Hubbs & Marini, 1935 | EngraulidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Engraulis maeoticus Pusanov & Zeeb, 1926 | EngraulidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Engraulis australis (White, 1790) | EngraulidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Peruvian anchovyEngraulis ringens Jenyns, 1842 | EngraulidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Engraulis japonica Temminck & Schlegel, 1846 Temminck & Schlegel, 1846 | synonym |
| Engraulis zollingeri Bleeker, 1849 Bleeker, 1849 | synonym |
| Stolephorus celebicus Hardenberg, 1933 Hardenberg, 1933 | synonym |
| Stolephorus zollingeri (Bleeker, 1849) (Bleeker, 1849) | synonym |
| Atherina japonica Houttuyn, 1782 Houttuyn, 1782 | synonym |
| Engraulus japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1846 Temminck & Schlegel, 1846 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Temminck, C. J., & Schlegel, H. (1846). Pisces. In: Siebold, P. F. De (Ed.): Fauna Japonica, Sive Descriptio Animalium, Quae in Itinere per Japoniam ... Suscepto Annis 1823-1830 Collegit, Notis, Observationibus et Adumbrationibus Illustravit Ph. Fr. De Siebold. Lugduni Batavorum [Leiden] (A. Arnz et So, Parts 10–14: 173–269. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6F994. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.