name: Smelt

flavor_db_name_variants: smelt

source: foodb

status: draft

food_db_id: Smelt

id: 519

name_scientific: Osmeridae

description: Smelts are a family of small fish, Osmeridae, found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They are also known as freshwater smelts or typical smelts to distinguish them from the related Argentinidae, Bathylagidae, and Retropinnidae. Some smelt species are common in the North American Great Lakes, and in the lakes and seas of the northern part of Europe, where they run in large shoals along the saltwater coastline during spring migration to their spawning streams. In size, smelts usually grow to about 20 cm (7.9 in) long, although some species can reach 70 cm (28 in). Smelts are a food source for salmon and lake trout. Like salmon, many species are anadromous, living most of their lives in the sea, but traveling into fresh water to breed. However, a few exceptions, such as the surf smelt, spend their entire lives at sea.

itis_id: 162028

wikipedia_id: Osmeridae

picture_file_name: 530.jpg

picture_content_type: image/jpeg

picture_file_size: 115406

picture_updated_at: 2012-04-20T09:39:29.000Z

legacy_id: 557

food_group: Aquatic foods

food_subgroup: Fishes

food_type: Type 1

created_at: 2011-02-09T00:37:46.000Z

updated_at: 2019-05-14T18:05:26.000Z

creator_id: null

updater_id: null

export_to_afcdb: false

category: specific

ncbi_taxonomy_id: 8012

export_to_foodb: true

public_id: FOOD00519