Pigmy smelt (Osmerus spectrum)

Scientific name: Osmerus spectrum Cope, 1870

Pigmy smelt (Osmerus spectrum)

The Pigmy smelt (Osmerus spectrum) is a freshwater fish of the family Osmeridae.

Biology

Lives in small, deep, thermally stratified lakes. When this species occurs with Osmerus mordax, it usually spawns later in the year, feeds on smaller food items, grows more slowly, matures earlier in life, and has a shorter life span.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Osmerus spectrum
Family
Osmeridae (Smelts)
Order
Osmeriformes (Smelts)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
17.0
Environment
Freshwater; benthopelagic
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
North America: Heney Lake in southern Quebec, Lake Utopia in southern New Brunswick in Canada, Wilton Pond and Green Lake in southern Maine, USA. Introduced into Meach and Ouimet lakes in southern Quebec. May be present in other lakes in eastern Canada and New England, USA.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Data deficient (DD)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

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

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