The breeding success of California brown pelicans and elegant terns is strongly correlated with anchovy abundance. California anchovy, pinhead, anchoa, anchoveta, and bay anchova. Small compressed fish with long snouts that overhang a large mouth. Up to 9 inches in length.
Anchovies are abundant in bays and estuaries in the spring, summer and fall.
While anchovies move along the shore and offshore, they do not migrate extensively. In North America, the northern anchovy occurs from the Gulf of California, Mexico to Queen Charlotte Islands in Canada. Estuaries and bays provide important habitat for the northern anchovy, which spends significant time in these habitats. Primarily feeding on planktonic crustaceans and fish larvae, the northern anchovy in turn is an important food source for many species of fish, including California halibut, rock fish, yellow tail tuna, shark, chinook, and coho salmon. It is also important prey for marine mammals and birds.