Teleostei (teleosts) >
Argentiniformes (Marine smelts) >
Microstomatidae (Pencil smelts)
Eponymy: Fridtjof Nansen (1861–1930) was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat and later recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; pelagic-oceanic; depth range 300 - 500 m (Ref. 5951). Temperate; 53°N - 24°N, 20°W - 17°E
Eastern Atlantic: southwest of Ireland, western Mediterranean and off Western Sahara. Northwest Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 5951).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 18.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4458)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 11; Anal soft rays: 9 - 10; Vertebrae: 42 - 45. Branchiostegal rays 4. Predorsal length longer than 50% SL. Proximal part of adipose fin unpigmented. Entire body covered with guanine (Ref. 5123).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated; Cross section: compressed.
Spawns during winter in the Mediterranean.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Cohen, D.M., 1990. Argentinidae. p. 235-238. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1. (Ref. 4458)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804) |
PD50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high]. |
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Bayesian length-weight
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a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245). |
Trophic level (Ref. 69278) |
3.2 ±0.31 se; based on food items. |
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153) |
Low vulnerability (12 of 100). 🛈 |
Nutrients (Ref. 124155) |
Calcium = 22.5 [8.4, 78.3] mg/100g; Iron = 0.517 [0.197, 2.106] mg/100g; Protein = 2.85 [0.00, 6.65] %; Omega3 = 0.526 [0.233, 1.218] g/100g; Selenium = 13 [3, 38] μg/100g; VitaminA = 17.3 [4.9, 61.6] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.631 [0.314, 1.218] mg/100g (wet weight); |