Argentine, Silver Smelt

Family Argentinidae

• Portuguese: Biqueirão branco
• Spanish: Pejerrey, Pez de plata
• French: Argentine
• Dutch: Zilvervis
• German: Goldlachs
• Swedish: Guldlax
• Norwegian: Vassild
• Danish: Guldiaks
• Icelandic: Guillax

REMARKS Maximum length 60 cm. A yellowish fish with an underlying silvery sheen, which is distributed right across the northerly waters of the North Atlantic, down to the latitude of Ireland in the east and Maine in the west.

On the European side there is another, more southerly, species Argentina sphyraena Linnaeus. This fish, which is shown in the lower drawing, only grows to half the size of its brother and frequents the edge of the continental shelf. Its range extends down to the Mediterranean. Some names in other languages are the same as for the larger species, but with a diminutive (e.g. litli gulllax in Icelandic). The Danish name is strømsild, the Swedish name is Silverfisk, while in German it is Glasauge.