longfin smelt
Spirinchus thaleichthys (Ayres, 1860)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) is a small anadromous fish native to the North Pacific, and adjacent streams and lakes. Its name is derived from its long pectoral fins, which extend almost to the base of its pelvic fins.
Wikipedia contributors, Longfin smelt; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:33:20.569952+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Spirinchus thaleichthys (Ayres, 1860)
- Name authority
- (Ayres, 1860)
- Common name
- longfin smelt
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Osmeriformes
- Family
- Osmeridae
- Genus
- Spirinchus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderOsmeriformes
- suborderOsmeroidei
- familyOsmeridae Regan, 1913
- genusSpirinchus Jordan & Evermann, 1896
- speciesSpirinchus thaleichthys (Ayres, 1860)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Spirinchus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Spirinchus lanceolatus (Hikita, 1913) | OsmeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| night smeltSpirinchus starksi (Fisk, 1913) | OsmeridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Spirinchus dilatus Schultz & Chapman, 1934 Schultz & Chapman, 1934 | synonym |
| Osmerus thaleichthys Ayres, 1860 Ayres, 1860 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=282844 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4Z7D9. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.