It is characterized by its very long jaw, silvery belly, lateral stripe, and single dorsal fin.

[1] The bay anchovy is similar to other species in the genus Anchoa which occur in the same regions.

[6] This species is distributed in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico along the eastern coasts of North America from Maine to Yucatán.

[7] It occurs in a wide range of water temperatures and salinities, including some hypersaline environments.

It can also be found over bare substrates at the ocean floor and in tide pools and surf zones.

[6] It is in turn an important prey item for a variety of larger fish, including weakfish (Cynoscion regalis), striped bass (Morone saxatilis), chain pickerel (Esox niger), and bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix).

In the southern part of its range it spawns year-round, and farther north it breeds during the warmer months.

It has an extensive range, a large and stable population made up of many subpopulations, and no major threats.