#osmeriformes

Shishamo Smelt Spirinchus lanceolatus

A smelt from Hokkaido, Japan. The fish is said to resemble a willow leaf, and its Japanese name, 柳葉魚, reflects this; shishamo, is derived from the Ainu name for the same fish, susam. In Japanese cuisine, this fish is grilled or fried whole and served with its roe intact. Due to declining catches in recent years, attempts have been made to commercially farm the fish in Japan.

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Order: Osmeriformes

Common Name: “true smelts” or “freshwater smelts”

Families: 4 - Retropinnidae (“Australian and New Zealand smelts”), Osmeridae (“freshwater smelts” or “typical smelts”), Plecoglossidae (“Ayu Sweetfish”), Salangidae (“icefishes” or “noodlefishes”)

Anatomy: slender, streamlined body; most have an adipose fin; reduced or missing articular and mesopterygoid teeth; many species translucent or transparent

Diet: plankton, small insect larvae, algae, sponges, worms

Habitat: Generally marine (despite the term “freshwater smelts”); almost all species migrate to spawn in fresh water; temperate oceans worldwide and in temperate freshwater of the Holarctic and around the South Pacific region; a handful of tropical species

Evolved in: Late Cretaceous

(source)

Propaganda under the cut:

what's this bloody angry pencil ✍️✍️✍️ doing??? not much it seems, but it's very mad!!!

why's that?? I don't know, but it'll bite and snatch until all its rage goes away, and going by its track record (this happened before) it'll take at least 14 years to cool down

maybe it's angry because it doesn't have any tunes to bang out?

shlompiness rating: why the long face

illustration by Steindachner I think