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Indian anchovy (Stolephorus indicus). Tempera on paper.

Indian anchovy

Small schooling fish used for food and bait in the Indo-Pacific.

Photo: Xavier Romero-Frias, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Indian anchovy is a small marine fish found across tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. It supports local cuisines through frying and curries, while also serving as bait for tuna fisheries. Recent sightings suggest it has entered the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal.

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  • Grows to a maximum length of 15.5 cm
  • Used as bait in the tuna fishing industry
  • Recently found in the Mediterranean Sea
  • Popular snack when fried in Sri Lanka
  • Feeds on plankton in tropical waters

What it is

This ray-finned fish belongs to the anchovy family. Adults grow no longer than 15.5 cm. The body shows a translucent brown hue with a distinct silver stripe along the side. Two to six tiny, sharp scutes protect the belly area. The upper jaw bone ends in a point that touches the front edge of the gill cover. Dorsal fins carry 15 to 17 soft rays, while anal fins have 18 to 21.

Where it lives

Populations thrive in tropical zones of the Indo-Pacific. Their territory stretches from Madagascar and Mauritius in the west to Australia and Samoa in the east. They inhabit depths between 20 and 50 metres. In 2015, observers recorded them in the Mediterranean near Palestine. This expansion likely occurred through the Suez Canal. Similar local species may cause observers to miss them in adjacent waters.

How it lives

These creatures form schools in open water. They feed primarily on plankton drifting in the current. As oceanodromous swimmers, they move across marine environments rather than staying in one fixed spot. Their small size and schooling behaviour make them vulnerable to larger predators, which is why they are often caught for use as bait.

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

Fish and people

Markets in Sri Lanka sell this fish widely. Cooks prepare it by deep-frying pieces coated in flour and breadcrumbs. It also features in white curries made with coconut milk, or spicier versions with dry chilli gravy served with fresh coconut. Beyond direct consumption, fishermen use live or dead specimens as bait for tuna. It appears in various fish sauces and culinary products across Southeast Asia.

Stolephorus indicus
Stolephorus indicus. Photo: BEDO (Thailand), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Stolephorus indicus (larger specimens) with commerson's anchovy (smaller specimens) in a lab
Stolephorus indicus (larger specimens) with commerson's anchovy (smaller specimens) in a lab. Photo: Gihan Jayaweera, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Questions people ask about Indian anchovy

How big does the Indian anchovy get?

Adults reach a maximum length of 15.5 cm. They are small fish with a typical anchovy shape, featuring a silver stripe along the flank and a pointed upper jaw.

Where can you find this fish?

It lives in tropical Indo-Pacific waters from Madagascar to Samoa. Recently, it was spotted in the Mediterranean Sea, likely having migrated through the Suez Canal.

Is the Indian anchovy eaten by people?

Yes, it is a common food fish in India and Southeast Asia. In Sri Lanka, it is often fried as a snack or cooked in coconut-based curries.

What do Indian anchovies eat?

They feed on plankton. As small schooling fish, they drift in tropical ocean currents at depths of 20 to 50 metres to filter these tiny organisms from the water.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Indian anchovy", 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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