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.

Silver scabbardfish sold in Syracuse (Italy)

Silver scabbardfish
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Scombriformes
Family:	Trichiuridae
Genus:	Lepidopus
Species:	L. caudatus
Binomial name
Lepidopus caudatus (Euphrasen, 1788)
Synonyms
Trichiurus caudatus Euphrasen, 1788 Lepidopus argenteus Bonnaterre, 1788 Trichiurus ensiformis Vandelli, 1797 Lepidopus gouanianus Lacepède, 1800 Trichiurus gladius Holten, 1802 Vandellius lusitanicus Shaw, 1803 Scarcina argyrea Rafinesque, 1810 Lepidopus peronii Risso, 1810 Ziphotheca tetradens Montagu, 1811 Lepidopus xantusi Goode & Bean, 1896 Lepidopus lex Phillipps, 1932

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.^[2]

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.^[2] 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.^[2]