Norwegian record European anchovy: 12 g

About European anchovy

The European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) is a small, slender relative of the herring. Its best field mark is the pointed snout that overhangs the lower jaw. The back is blue-green or grey, the belly silvery white, and young fish carry a silver stripe along the side. Most are under 16 cm, with a maximum of about 20 cm. Anchovies are common from the Bay of Biscay to West Africa and in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, but they have become clearly more frequent in the North Sea since the 1990s, probably because of warmer water. In Norway they appear in small numbers along the south and west coast, and in 2024 surprisingly many were found in the inner Oslofjord. They school in the upper water layers and feed on zooplankton. Note that tinned Norwegian "ansjos" is normally made from sprat. Norwegian Red List 2021: Not Applicable (NA), as it occurs irregularly.

Sources: Artsdatabanken, Store norske leksikon, Wikipedia

• Habitat: Saltvann
• Best month: August
• Red list status: NA (2021)

See the species guide

Biggest European anchovy in FishComp

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How to register a Norwegian record

1. Norwegian sport-fishing records are registered with Villmarksliv, not with FishComp. Read the rules before you do anything else with the fish.
2. Records are based on weight and approved by a jury. You give the weight and length, where it was caught, the gear you used and any witnesses.
3. Keep your photos and notes from the catch. Logging it in FishComp does not register a record.