Argentine (Argentina sphyraena)

Scientific name: Argentina sphyraena Linnaeus, 1758

Argentine (Argentina sphyraena)

The Argentine (Argentina sphyraena) is a marine fish of the family Argentinidae. Native range: Eastern Atlantic, northern Norway to Western Sahara including southern Iceland, Faroe Islands, Shetlands and western Mediterranean.

Biology

Relatively common on the continental shelf and upper slope, probably schools near the bottom. Depth range from 50-500 m and from 288-700 m in the eastern Ionian Sea. Feeds on bottom-living polychaetes, mollusks and crustaceans, also pelagic invertebrates and fishes. Spawns from winter to spring in the Mediterranean and from March to July off the British coasts. Its eggs and larvae are pelagic. They become sexually mature at a length of 12-13cm. With a smell like cucumber.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Argentina sphyraena
Family
Argentinidae (Argentines or herring smelts)
Order
Osmeriformes (Smelts)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
35.0
Common length
20.0
Depth range
50–700 m (164–2297 ft)
Environment
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 50 - 700 m
Climate
Deep-water
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: northern Norway to Western Sahara including southern Iceland, Faroe Islands, Shetlands and western Mediterranean.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tmax=7; K=0.27)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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