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Osmerus
mordax mordax
(Mitchill, 1814)
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Family:
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Osmeridae
(Smelts)
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picture (Osmor_u3.jpg) by Lyons, J.
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Order:
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Osmeriformes
(smelts)
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Class:
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Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
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FishBase name:
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Atlantic rainbow smelt |
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Max. size:
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35.6 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 1998)); max. reported age: 7 years (Ref. 52222) |
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Environment: |
pelagic-oceanic; anadromous (Ref. 51243); freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 425 m (Ref. 58426) |
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Climate: |
temperate; 73°N - 41°N |
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Importance:
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fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes |
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Resilience: |
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.31; tm=2-6; tmax=6; Fec=8,500) |
| Vulnerability: |
Moderate to high vulnerability (50.02). (Ref. 59153)
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Distribution:
Gazetteer
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North Atlantic: Lake Melville, Labrador, Canada to Delaware River,
Pennsylvania, (maybe to Virginia), and inland along Saint Lawrence
River to Lake Superior. Northwest Pacific: off Russia (Ref. 26334).
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Morphology:
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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.
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Biology: |
Nerito-pelagic (Ref. 58426). A schooling species that occurs in
midwater of lakes or inshore coastal waters (Ref. 1998); at
temperatures ranging from 7.2-15.6°C. Migrates up to 1,000 km upstream
in rivers (Ref. 6793). Occurs possibly to 425 m (Ref. 2851). Feeds on
invertebrates such as amphipods, ostracods, aquatic insect larvae and
aquatic worms (Ref. 1998); food also include copepods, euphausiids,
mysids and small fishes (silversides, mummichogs and herring) (Ref. 5951, 10294). Headed, gutted, sold fresh, frozen and precooked. Eaten sautéed and fried (Ref. 9988).
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Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (Ref. 57073)
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Dangerous:
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harmless
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Coordinator: |
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Main Ref: |
Scott, W.B. and E.J Crossman. 1973 . (Ref. 1998)
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