Smelt Species Stock Video Footage

Smelts are a family of small fish, the Osmeridae, found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans, as well as rivers, streams and lakes in Europe, North America and Northeast Asia. They are also known as freshwater smelts or typical smelts to distinguish them from the related Argentinidae (herring smelts or argentines), Bathylagidae (deep-sea smelts), and Retropinnidae (Australian and New Zealand smelts). In size, smelts usually grow to about 20 centimetres (8 inches) long, although some species can reach 70 cm (28 in). Smelts are a food source for many fish, including salmon, striped bass, 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 Learn more about Smelt