Rainbow smelt
📖 Overview
Nerito-pelagic . Inhabits cool clear lakes, medium to large rivers, and coastal waters . A schooling species that occurs in midwater of lakes or inshore coastal waters ; at temperatures ranging from 7.2-15.6°C. Coastal population are anadromous (Ref, 86798). Migrates up to 1,000 km upstream in rivers . Occurs possibly to 425 m . Feeds on invertebrates such as amphipods, ostracods, aquatic insect larvae and aquatic worms ; food also include copepods, euphausiids, mysids and small fishes (silversides, mummichogs and herring) . Headed, gutted, sold fresh, frozen and precooked. Eaten sautéed and fried .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 12 - 16; Vertebrae: 58 - 70. Body elongate, laterally compressed, greatest depth at anterior of dorsal fin origin. Head moderate; eye moderately large; snout elongate, pointed. Mouth large; lower jaw protruding, maxillary extending to middle of eye or beyond, well toothed on vomer, palatine, pterygoid, basibranchial, dentary, maxillary, and tongue. Teeth specially enlarged on tongue and front of vomer. Body color is pale green on back, with purple, blue, and pink iridescent reflections on the side when freshly caught.: elongated; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Rainbow smelt is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
Spawning runs occur when temperature is between 8.9-18.3°C, may last for 3 weeks, peak for 1 week. Lengths of both sexes decrease as spawning progress. Two or more tuberculated males maintain position against a female in swift water, eggs released in clusters and presumably milt released simultaneously. Spawning usually takes place at night, spawners move downstream to the lake during daytime.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; freshwater; brackish; pelagic-oceanic; anadromous ; depth range 0 - 425 m , usually ? - 150 m . Temperate; 6°C - 18°C ; 73°N - 41°N, 167°W - 53°W North Atlantic: Atlantic drainages from Lake Melville in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada to Delaware River in Pennsylvania, USA and west through Great lakes.
🌿 Ecology
invertebrates such as amphipods, ostracods, aquatic insect larvae and aquatic worms (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🎣 Angling Guide
- medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
- 30-50 lb braid
- fluorocarbon leader
- grass flats
- oyster bars
- marsh drains
- deeper channel edges
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Rainbow smelt is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 17.6 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 853 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Rainbow smelt has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🔬 Full Nutritional Profile
Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (oily fish average)
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | American Smelt · Atlantic Rainbow Smelt · Bay Capelin · Bay Caplin · Freshwater Smelt · Frost Fish · Ice Fish · Lake Herring · Leefish · Ooutside Caplin · Outside Capelin · Rainbow Smelt · Smelt · Toothed Smelt · White-fish |
| 🌍CES | koruška severoatlantská |
| 🌍EST | vikertint |
| 🇫🇮Finnish | amerikankuore |
| 🇫🇷French | éperlan arc-en-ciel · Éperlan d'Amérique |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | キュウリウオ · ニジワカサギ |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Азиатская корюшка · Американская корюшка · восточноамериканская корюшка |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Eperlano americano |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atherina mordax | Mitchill | 1814 | Synonym |
| Osmerus eperlanus mordax | Mitchill | 1814 | Synonym |
| Osmerus mordax mordax | - | - | Synonym |
| Osmerus sergeanti | Norris | 1868 | Synonym |
| Osmerus viridescens | Lesueur | 1818 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 79 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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