Longfin smelt [Platanichthys stellatus]
Description
The longfin smelt is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Osmeridae. It is native to the northern Pacific Ocean, from Hokkaido, Japan, east across Kamchatka and the Aleutian Islands, to the Gulf of Alaska, south to Monterey Bay, California. It is anadromous, living in salt water but migrating to fresh water to spawn. It is a slender, streamlined fish with a pointed snout and large mouth. The upper body is typically olive to bluish with a silvery underside. Longfin smelt are primarily nocturnal and feed on plankton.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Fish
Actinopterygii
|
| Order |
Herrings and Anchovies
Clupeiformes
|
| Family |
Pristigasterids
Pristigasteridae
|
| Genus |
Platanichthys
Platanichthys
|