New Zealand smelt [SEP] parent taxon
New Zealand smelt
The New Zealand smelt ("Retropinna retropinna"), also known as the New Zealand common smelt or New Zealand cucumber fish, is a smelt of the family Retropinnidae, found only in New Zealand at shallow depths in estuaries and rivers. Their length is between 8 and 13 cm.
Species description.
Retropinna retropinna are elongated silver green fish with clear fins, just larger than palm size. Smelt can be identified by the adipose fin, a small fleshy nub, located halfway between the
dorsal fin and the tail. Scales, a forked tail and a distinct “cucumber smell” are other ways of distinguishing Smelt from other species. There are two species of Smelt in New Zealand, the Common Smelt and Stokell’s Smelt which can only be told apart by the size and number of scales. The length of a Common Smelt is between 8 and 13 cm.
New Zealand range.
Common Smelt are widespread in North Island waterways, but not in the South island (only Stokell’s smelt are