Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Fishes are classified into trophic guilds based on their primary feeding habits and food sources in the ecosystem.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Anchovies (belonging to the family Engraulidae, such as Stolephorus species) are small, schooling pelagic fishes.
They possess specialized gill rakers that act as a sieve, allowing them to filter feed on microscopic organisms.
Their diet is composed of phytoplankton (diatoms, dinoflagellates) and zooplankton (copepods, cladocerans), which classifies them as obligate planktivores.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Anchovies are planktivores, which corresponds to option (B).