Australian smelt (Retropinna semoni)

Scientific name: Retropinna semoni Weber, 1895

Australian smelt (Retropinna semoni)

The Australian smelt (Retropinna semoni) is a freshwater fish of the family Retropinnidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 10–25°C (50–77°F).

Australian smelt care at a glance

Temperature
10–25°C (50–77°F)

Biology

Lives in streams, backwaters, lakes, swamps and estuaries. Occurs in brackish estuaries and inland salt lakes. Most common in slow-flowing streams and still waters, shoaling near the surface or around the cover of aquatic plants and woody debris. Forms large aggregations in open water. Feeds on aquatic insects, microcrustaceans and algae. Spawns throughout the Murray-Darling river system. Breeds between July and March (mostly in spring). Spawning temperature is about 15 ?C. Newly hatched larvae measure 4.8 mm TL on the average. Eggs are laid among aquatic vegetation and hatch in about 10 days. Sexual maturity is attained by the end of the first year. Eaten fresh or canned.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Retropinna semoni
Family
Retropinnidae (New Zealand smelts)
Order
Osmeriformes (Smelts)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
10.0
Common length
6.0
Environment
Freshwater; brackish; pelagic; potamodromous
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Oceania: Australia's east coast from the Fritzroy River southward to at least the Shoalhaven River; throughout most of the Murray-Darling river system; and in Lake Eyre inland drainage system near Longreach, Thompson River.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.31; tm=1; tmax=2)

Sources

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

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