Longfin smelt
📖 Overview
Adults are found close to shore, in bays and estuaries and ascend coastal streams to spawn . There are landlocked populations but these do not reach as great a size as sea-run fish . Anadromous . Individuals found in brackish and salt water feed on small crustaceans . Fish from the sea are reported to have good flavor, but supply is limited . Often abundant during the spawning run, but flesh reported to be soft and oily, easily spoiling .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 10; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 15 - 19; Vertebrae: 55 - 61. Distinguished by its long upper jaw, which reaches at least below the middle of the eye in adults; the fine teeth in a single row on the vomer and palatine bones; and the 38 to 47 gill rakers on the 1st arch . Gill rakers long; lateral line incomplete and reaching not quite to below dorsal fin . Breeding males have tubercles on upper sides of paired fins . Pale olive brown dorsally, silvery white on sides and ventral surfaces; fins usually stripped along the rays, but inter-ray membranes clear;. Young are translucent with 2 rows of large black spots, on each side of the midline of the back, from head to caudal peduncle; peritoneum silver with light speckling. Spawning males with moss-green backs, and dense, black speckling on the head and dorsal surface of the body. The peritoneum is silvery with black speckling.: elongated; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Longfin smelt is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
Although most individuals die after spawning, some females apparently survive to age 3. It is not known whether or not these 3-year-olds spawned previously .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; anadromous ; depth range ? - 137 m . Temperate; 61°N - 38°N North Pacific: Prince William Sound, Alaska to Monterey Bay, California, USA.
🌿 Ecology
small crustaceans (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osmerus haleichthys | Ayres | 1860 | Synonym |
| Osmerus thaleichthys | Ayres | 1860 | Synonym |
| Spirinchus dilatus | Schultz & Chapman | 1934 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 28 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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