Longsnout blacksmelt

Dolicholagus longirostris

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth103–1,025 m
Water temperature6–29 °C
Best monthsApril, June, and August
How commonOccasional

About this species

Dolicholagus longirostris, the longsnout blacksmelt, is a species of deep-sea smelt found circumglobally in deep waters of the tropics and subtropics. It is found at depths of 200 to 945 m. This species grows to a length of 17.5 cm (6.9 in).

Text from the Wikipedia article “Dolicholagus”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 3 records
February: 16 records
March: 15 records
April: 29 records
May: 6 records
June: 38 records
July: 24 records
August: 32 records
September: 27 records
October: 18 records
November: 11 records
December: 5 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 103–1,025 m · Deepest record: 3,500 m

0–10 m: 4 records
10–20 m: 0 records
20–30 m: 0 records
30–40 m: 0 records
40–50 m: 0 records
50–60 m: 1 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 1 records
80–90 m: 4 records
90–100 m: 5 records
100–110 m: 8 records
110+ m: 175 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 6–29 °C

6–8 °C: 1 records
8–10 °C: 1 records
10–12 °C: 21 records
12–14 °C: 22 records
14–16 °C: 18 records
16–18 °C: 20 records
18–20 °C: 36 records
20–22 °C: 25 records
22–24 °C: 74 records
24–26 °C: 27 records
26–28 °C: 8 records
28–30 °C: 12 records

Names and classification

English: Longsnout blacksmelt, Longsnout Deepsea Smelt

Names in 2 more languages

French: Garcette pâle
Japanese: Ginsokoiwashi, ギンソコイワシ

Other scientific names: Bathylagus compsus, Bathylagus longirostris

Similar species

Snubnose Blacksmelt
Bathylagoides wesethi
Antarctic Big-eyed Smelt
Bathylagus antarcticus
Slender blacksmelt
Bathylagus pacificus
Southern Deepsea Smelt
Bathylagichthys australis
Bathylagichthys kobylianskyi
Bathylagichthys longipinnis

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
480 open-data records from 1953 to 2016.
Species data updated November 2, 2026.

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