Night smelt facts for kids

The night smelt (Spirinchus starksi) is a type of smelt fish. It belongs to the Osmeridae family. This fish lives along the Pacific coast of North America.

What Night Smelt Look Like

Night smelt look a lot like another fish called the longfin smelt. They can grow up to 9 inches long. Their bodies are bright golden or silvery. A cool fact about them is that they often smell like fresh cucumber!

Life Cycle and Reproduction

Night smelt lay their eggs, a process called spawning, at night. They do this in the surf zone, which is where waves break on the shore. They prefer sandy beaches. You can find them spawning from Point Arguello in central California all the way to southeast Alaska. This usually happens between February and August.

It's easy to mix up night smelt with the California grunion. Grunion are a different type of fish. They also spawn on the beach at night. But they are not related to smelt at all!

Fishing for Night Smelt

People catch night smelt for both business and fun.

Commercial Fishing

There is a small commercial fishery for night smelt. This means some people catch them to sell. Often, night smelt are sold in local markets as "whitebait" or just "smelt."

Recreational Fishing

For fun, people catch night smelt right in the surf. They use special tools like dip nets or A-frame nets. Sometimes, but not often, people catch them using a fishing rod and line.

See also

In Spanish: Spirinchus starksi para niños