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EveryFish
Coilia dussumieri

Goldspotted grenadier anchovy

A small coastal anchovy of the western Indo-Pacific.

Photo: BEDO (Thailand), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The goldspotted grenadier anchovy is a ray-finned fish in the family Engraulidae. It inhabits coastal waters and estuaries across the tropical western Indo-Pacific, from India to Java. This species tolerates varying salinity levels and feeds on small crustaceans and larvae.

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  • Found in coastal waters and estuaries.
  • Diet includes copepods and fish larvae.
  • Range extends from India to Java.
  • Tolerates lowered salinity levels.

What it is

The goldspotted grenadier anchovy is a ray-finned fish belonging to the family Engraulidae. It is a small species adapted to life in saline environments that can also handle reduced salt levels. Its body shape and habits align with other anchovies found in tropical regions. This fish is distinct for its presence in both open coastal zones and sheltered estuarine systems.

Where it lives

This species occupies the tropical western Indo-Pacific region. Its distribution spans coastal areas around India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The range extends southward through Thailand, along the Malay Peninsula, and reaches as far as Java. These waters provide the warm temperatures and mixed salinity conditions the fish requires for survival.

How it lives

The goldspotted grenadier anchovy feeds on a variety of small marine organisms. Its diet includes copepods, prawn larvae, and fish larvae. It also consumes various unidentified crustaceans, cypris, and other invertebrates. As a coastal and estuary species, it navigates between different salinity zones while hunting for these food sources.

Breeding and life cycle

Information on specific spawning times or egg development is limited. However, it is likely that this species migrates into estuaries for breeding purposes. This behaviour suggests a reliance on the protected and nutrient-rich conditions of estuarine environments for the early stages of life.

Goldspotted grenadier anchovy
A drawing made by EveryFish from what this page says. It is a diagram, not a picture of the real fish.

Questions people ask about Goldspotted grenadier anchovy

Where does the goldspotted grenadier anchovy live?

It lives in coastal waters and estuaries across the tropical western Indo-Pacific. Specific locations include India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, and Java.

What does this fish eat?

It feeds on small invertebrates such as copepods, prawn larvae, fish larvae, cypris, and various other unidentified crustaceans found in its habitat.

Can it survive in fresh water?

While it is a saline water fish, it can tolerate lowered salinity. This allows it to inhabit estuaries where fresh and salt water mix.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Coilia dussumieri", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryFish rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes, and figures change over time. Nothing here is investment or buying advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-11-15.

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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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