Anchovy Anchovy An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. The more than 140 species are placed in 17 genera; they are found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, and in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Anchovies are usually classified as oily fish. Anchovies are small, green fish with blue reflections due to a silver-colored longitudinal stripe that runs from the base of the caudal (tail) fin. They range from in
Plains topminnow The plains topminnow also has bronze reflections with faint blue-green cross-hatching on its back and sides. Its fins are colorless or yellowish in immature fish, females and non-breeding males. There are no black bars on the fish’s body, which makes it distinguishable from the banded killifish, a more common species, which is often found in the same habitats as the plains topminnow. Two other distinct features of the plains topminnow are its rounded caudal fin and the absence of an externally visible lateral line. The plains topminnow has 33 to 37 ctenoid scales in its lateral line. The dorsal fin