It was a distant relative of modern herrings and anchovies.

[1] It inhabited freshwater rift lakes in the supercontinent of West Gondwana (comprising modern South America and Africa) during the Early Cretaceous, and fossil remains are known from formations in both South America (Brazil) and Africa (Equatorial Guinea).

[2][3] The following species are known:[2][4] Another species E. maceioensis Malabarba et al, 2004 from the Aptian-aged Maceió Formation of Alagoas, Brazil likely does not belong to this genus as it does not display diagnostic morphological characteristics.

[2][7] The sister genus to Ellimmichthys is thought to be Eoellimmichthys, a marine paraclupeid that lived much later during the Early Eocene, with fossils known from Monte Bolca, Italy.

This article about a prehistoric ray-finned fish is a stub.