Denizens of the marine water and freshwater – anchovies are slender and tiny fishes. They are widely used as commercial species because they are quite the catch! Depending on their habitats, the diet of anchovies varies as well. These silvered-stripe anchovies are filter feeders, consuming both animal and a plant-based diet. In other words, anchovies ingest whatever passes by their jaws – that are larger than herrings. To look at “what do anchovies eat?” we’ll dive deep into their specific feeding.

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Insects, Animals, and Fish

The anatomical structure of the anchovies aids them in ingesting small-sized aquatic food items. Being small fish, anchovies don’t actively prey on fish because they lack hunting skills. However, anchovies collect food items such as microscopic and other small fish by cruising through the water.

With their mouth wide open, anchovies filter anything as long as it’s small enough to fit into their jaws. That said, anchovies eat zooplankton and krill. These microscopic aquatic organisms make up the diet of the anchovies. Apart from these, anchovies consume copepods, fish eggs, and larvae of other aquatic organisms. After all, anchovies are to be hunted by other large fish as a part of the food web.

Fruit, Vegetables, and Plants

Given their foraging habits, anchovies also prefer to filter plant-based food items in the water. Hence, anchovies eat plankton, phytoplankton, algae, and seaweed – consuming the tiny particles by filtering and ingesting them. These swift swimmers can filter out as many small prey and plant items as they can while swimming. Typically, the main staple of the anchovies is plankton and krill.

What anchovies don’t eat?

Although they feed on microscopic prey items, anchovies don’t eat bacteria or insects. Apart from these, anchovies don’t eat mosquitoes, ticks, flies, or other insects. However, depending on their preference, anchovies might eat fish feed.