Stolephorus apiensis (Jordan & Seale, 1906)
Samoan anchovy
photo by Collyer, J.

Family:  Engraulidae (Anchovies), subfamily: Engraulinae
Max. size:  7.46 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 0 - 50 m
Distribution:  Central Pacific: Fiji and Samoa.
Diagnosis:  This species is distinguished by the following characters: gill rakers on first gill arch, upper series 20-24 (modally 21), lower series 27-30 (29), total 48-53 (50); gill rakers on second gill arch upper series 14-17 (15), lower series 25-30 (26), total 40-47 (41); gill rakers on third gill arch, upper series 11-13 (12), lower series 13-16 (15), total 24-29 (26); gill rakers on fourth gill arch, upper series 8-10 (8), lower series 10-13 (12), total 19-22 (20); prepelvic scutes 2-5 (4); upper jaw long, its posterior tip slightly short of or just reaching to posterior border of preopercle; predorsal scutes absent; pelvic scute no spine; posterior border of preopercle convex, rounded; parietal and occipital regions with obscure paired dark patches, without following dark lines; no black spots below eye and lower-jaw tip; body relatively elongate, its depth 17.0-20.0% of SL (mean 18.7%); anal-fn base long, its length 20.2-23.3% of SL (21.2%); caudal peduncle relatively short, its length 14.4-18.3% of SL (16.4%); posterior tip of pelvic fin reaching to the second–fifth dorsal-fin ray origin (Ref. 128118).
Biology:  A schooling species in shallow coastal waters. Used as bait in the tuna fishery in the South Pacific, although rare in bait catches in Fiji and Samoa.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 28 February 2017 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.