Fish Identification: Find Species

Family: Osmeridae Smelts

(See list of species below)

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15 species (see list below)

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Photo by Fritzsche, R.A./J.W. Cavanagh

Allosmerus elongatus
[Whitebait smelt]

Photo by Vasilets, P.

Hypomesus japonicus
[]

Photo by Senou, H.

Hypomesus nipponensis
[Japanese smelt]

Photo by Kim, I.-S.

Hypomesus olidus
[Pond smelt]

Photo by Bull. U.S. Bur. Fish.

Hypomesus pretiosus
[Surf smelt]

Photo by The Native Fish Conservancy

Hypomesus transpacificus
[Delta smelt]

Photo by Armesto, A.

Mallotus villosus
[Capelin]

Photo by Bull. U.S. Bur. Fish.

Osmerus dentex
[Pacific rainbow smelt]

Photo by Meyer, T.

Osmerus eperlanus
[European smelt]

Photo by Lyons, J.

Osmerus mordax
[Rainbow smelt]

Photo by Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada

Osmerus spectrum
[Pigmy smelt]

No picture found
Northwest Pacific
Max. Length 70 cm TL

Spirinchus lanceolatus
[]

Photo by Fritzsche, R.A./J.W. Cavanagh

Spirinchus starksi
[Night smelt]

Photo by Bull. U.S. Bur. Fish.

Spirinchus thaleichthys
[Longfin smelt]

Photo by Bull. U.S. Bur. Fish.

Thaleichthys pacificus
[Eulachon]

15 Species of Family Osmeridae
(Smelts)

Sort by: Species Length Year
1 of 1 Jump to:

Year	Scientific Name	English Name	Distribution	Max. Length (cm)
1854	Allosmerus elongatus	Whitebait smelt	Northeast Pacific	22.9 TL
1856	Hypomesus japonicus		Northwest Pacific	25 TL
1963	Hypomesus nipponensis	Japanese smelt	Asia	17 TL
1814	Hypomesus olidus	Pond smelt	Arctic, Northwest to Nort	20 TL
1854	Hypomesus pretiosus	Surf smelt	Eastern Pacific	30.5 TL
1963	Hypomesus transpacificus	Delta smelt	North America	12 TL
1776	Mallotus villosus	Capelin	Circumpolar in the Arctic	25.2 TL
1870	Osmerus dentex	Pacific rainbow smelt	North Pacific and Arctic	34 SL
1758	Osmerus eperlanus	European smelt	North Atlantic	45 TL
1814	Osmerus mordax	Rainbow smelt	North Atlantic	35.6 TL
1870	Osmerus spectrum	Pigmy smelt	North America	17 TL
1913	Spirinchus lanceolatus		Northwest Pacific	70 TL
1913	Spirinchus starksi	Night smelt	Northeast Pacific	23 TL
1860	Spirinchus thaleichthys	Longfin smelt	North Pacific	20 TL
1836	Thaleichthys pacificus	Eulachon	North Pacific	34 TL

Other identification tools in FishBase

Quick Identification

Identification keys

Identification by morphometrics

Identification by pictures:

          If you already know the Family, go to Search FishBase, select Family and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in FishBase for the family.

          If you already know the Country, go to Search FishBase, select Country and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in FishBase for the country.

          If you already know the Ecosystem, go to Search FishBase, select Ecosystem and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in FishBase for the ecosystem.

cfm script by eagbayani, 30.11.04, , php script by cmilitante, 05/11/2010 , last modified by cmilitante, 14/03/2013

Fish Identification: Find Species

Family: Osmeridae Smelts(See list of species below)

Family: Osmeridae Smelts

(See list of species below)