| Icefishes or noodlefishes | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Osmeriformes |
| Family: | Salangidae |
| Genera | |
|
Hemisalanx |
|
Icefishes or noodlefishes are a family, the Salangidae, of osmeriform fish, related to the smelts. They are found in freshwater environments in Southeast Asia, although a few species are anadromous, spending most of their life in coastal waters, and only visiting fresh water to spawn.
They have translucent or transparent bodies, and lack any scales. The head is strongly depressed and has numerous teeth. The adults are believed to be neotenic, retaining some larval features. For example, the skeleton is not fully ossified, consisting largely of cartilage.[1] They are small fish, typically around 8 centimetres (3.1 in), with the largest species reaching only 16 centimetres (6.3 in).[2]
The family consists of some 20 species in five genera:[1]
Family Salangidae