Smelt Osmerus eperlanus

The Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus) is a small, silvery, migratory fish with a characteristic cucumber-like smell – one of its most distinctive field characters. It is an estuarine and coastal species that ascends rivers to spawn in late winter and early spring. Suffolk’s larger estuaries – particularly the Orwell and Stour – have historically supported smelt, and the species remains part of the estuarine fish fauna of the county, though populations have declined through water quality deterioration and river modification. Improved water quality in the Orwell and Stour estuaries has benefited smelt, and the species is an important indicator of estuarine ecological recovery. Image: © marcokahlhamer, iNaturalist.

Find out more: iNaturalist, Marine Life Information Centre