European Smelt
Osmerus eperlanus
- Group: Other
- Max size: 45 cm
- For divers: safe
- IUCN status: LC
A slender silver fish that smells of cucumber when fresh, the smelt spends most of its life in estuaries and runs up rivers to spawn in the west, while eastern populations settle in lakes. It shoals in midwater close to shore and rarely ventures far out to sea. It reaches around 45 centimetres.
Taxonomy: Animalia › Chordata › Teleostei › Osmeriformes › Osmeridae › Osmerus
Species data via the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), AphiaID 126736.
FAQ
- Is the European Smelt dangerous to divers?
- The European Smelt is harmless to divers.
- How big does the European Smelt get?
- The European Smelt grows to about 45 cm.