Rainbow Smelt
Osmerus mordax
- Group: Other
- Typical depth: 0–425 m
- Max size: 35.6 cm
- For divers: safe
- IUCN status: LC
A slender silvery smelt that smells faintly of cucumber when fresh, schooling in the midwater of cool lakes and inshore coastal seas. Coastal stocks run far up rivers to spawn, some travelling hundreds of kilometres, and it favours clear water between about seven and sixteen degrees. It grows to around a third of a metre.
Taxonomy: Animalia › Chordata › Teleostei › Osmeriformes › Osmeridae › Osmerus
Species data via the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), AphiaID 126737.
FAQ
- How deep does the Rainbow Smelt live?
- The Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) is typically found at 0–425 m.
- Is the Rainbow Smelt dangerous to divers?
- The Rainbow Smelt is harmless to divers.
- How big does the Rainbow Smelt get?
- The Rainbow Smelt grows to about 35.6 cm.