Anchovies

They are among the most common oily fish. Apparently they are small, thin and tapered, with a silver colour on their sides and belly. They range from 10 to 16 cm and reach a maximum of 20 cm. They are gregarous fish that gather in schools and make considerable movements. They are fishing all year round with pelagic trawls and purse seines. In the upper and midlle Adriatic sea, thanks to the influx of water from many rivers, there is a greater availability of plankton. For that reason, anchovies in the Adriatic sea eat more, grow rapidly and are fatter than the anchovies of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Leaner anchovies are to be preferred for processing and conservation. Their freshness could be seen from their eye, that must be bright and "lively". They have good and tasty meats, both fresh and preserved.