Females spawn every 6-8 days during the peak season. They may produce as many as 130,000 eggs a year in southern California . Most spawning takes place from Point Conception to Baja California. Females emit between 2,700-16,000 eggs per batch. Eggs are found from the surface to 150 feet deep where the young hatch in about 2-4 days.
Anchovies are really amazing acting out their role in nature.
I have seen predator fish driving the anchovy schools to the surface and frothing the water to pure white as they rip through the school. Pelicans and gulls stumble over themselves taking advantage of the easy picking. Still the abundance of anchovies seemingly is not affected, they are always swimming around the area with no visible signs of reduction in the size of the schools. Among many tales about the influence of anchovies and the angling they provided is a story I wont forget. Actually it s a story about the role of an anchovy and what it did to help me catch bluefin tuna in the old days.