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Australian argentine (Argentina australiae) — Argentinidae

Australian argentine

Argentina australiae
Family: Argentinidae

The Australian argentine (Argentina australiae) is a saltwater fish of the family Argentinidae that grows up to 13 cm.

Length
13 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
30.0–400.0 m
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Australian argentine is a herring smelt (Argentinidae) from deeper coastal waters of southern Australia. The species grows to about 20 cm and has a slender, elongate, bright-silvery body with large eyes, a small mouth and an adipose fin. As a schooling, bottom-oriented fish it swims over sand and mud bottoms and eats small zooplankton, worms and small crustaceans. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Australian argentine?

The Australian argentine has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Australian argentine live?

The Australian argentine lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Australian argentine get?

The Australian argentine grows to a maximum of about 13 cm.

Is the Australian argentine dangerous to humans?

No, the Australian argentine is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Australische zilvervis sourced
English name
Australian argentine sourced
Scientific name
Argentina australiae
Family
Argentinidae
Other names
Silverside verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
13.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
30.0 verified
Max depth (m)
400.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Argentina

More from the family Argentinidae

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