Home · Argentinidae · Argentine
Argentine (Argentina striata) — Argentinidae

Argentine

Argentina striata
Family: Argentinidae
LC · Least Concern

The Argentine (Argentina striata) is a saltwater fish of the family Argentinidae that grows up to 24 cm.

Length
24 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
100.0–600.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Large groups
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The striated argentine is a deepwater fish of the herring smelt family (Argentinidae) from the western Atlantic Ocean. The species has a slender, elongate, silvery body with large eyes and a small mouth; a bright stripe runs along the flank. It lives near the bottom on soft bottoms of the continental shelf and slope. As a small predator it feeds on zooplankton and small benthic invertebrates. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Argentine?

The Argentine has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a horizontal stripes pattern.

Where does the Argentine live?

The Argentine lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Argentine get?

The Argentine grows to a maximum of about 24 cm. On average the species is around 15 cm.

Is the Argentine dangerous to humans?

No, the Argentine is harmless to humans.

Is the Argentine edible?

The Argentine is rarely eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Gestreepte zilvervis sourced
English name
Argentine verified
Scientific name
Argentina striata
Family
Argentinidae
Other names
Deepsea melt; Deepsea smelts; Striated Argentine; Striated argentine verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
24.0 verified
Average length (cm)
15.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Horizontal stripes inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
100.0 verified
Max depth (m)
600.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Large groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Sportvissen met kunstaas of (dood/levend) aasvis door te trollen, te werpen of drijvend te vissen in open water. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

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

Same genus Argentina

More from the family Argentinidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →