Anchovies

What they lack in size, anchovies make up for in numbers. The largest shoals consist of countless millions of individuals, all creating their route through the untamed ocean 
in search of food.

Like all shoaling fish, anchovies convey with one another and so are equipped to swim in close formation. Their silvery sides help them do this by providing a visual aid. However, anchovies are unusual in that they can also use pulses of sound to keep in touch with each other when swimming at high speed. 

This sound is not produced through the mouth. It is made by shock waves that are generated when thousands; or even millions;of bodies are pushing against the water at the same time.

Year-round Breeding

There are around 140 species of anchovies widely distributed in the major seas and oceans of the world (as well as in some rivers). It is not surprising, therefore, that the anchovy family breeds throughout the year. This does not apply to every species, of course; each has its own breeding season, which often extends over several months. During this period, some species can spawn as many as twenty times, with each female producing several hundred eggs at each spawning.