Anchovies divide into two major groups.
They are delicate fishes that lose all their scales when caught in a net. With the scales goes all their superficial skin, and death soon follows. Despite their success in nature and their importance to humans and other forms of life, anchovies do not survive long enough in captivity and are the least understood of all the clupeoids. Most anchovies, in general, are recognized by their prominent snout and long under-slung lower jaw, which extends far behind the eye, making a large mouth. Much like the Baleen Whale, the mouth is simply left open as they filter feed by swimming through the water.