• Source: Silver scabbardfish

The silver scabbardfish (Lepidopus caudatus), also known as the frostfish or beltfish is a benthopelagic cutlassfish of the family Trichiuridae found throughout the temperate seas of the world. It grows to over 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in length.




Behaviour


Lepidopus caudatus is known to strand itself in winter months, likely due to being caught in currents when the fish migrate closer to shore for spawning.




In a human context


Lepidopus caudatus is a traditional food for the Māori people of New Zealand, known by the name pāra. The fish was not typically caught, but eaten as a supplementary food when schools washed ashore, especially common around Moeraki in Otago. Māori traditionally believed that strandings were caused by the fish chasing the Moon, while early European settlers believed that frostfish purposefully chose to end their lives by stranding themselves.




References



Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Lepidopus caudatus". FishBase. January 2006 version.
Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8

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