Argentine (Argentina sphyraena)

General data
- Main name: Argentine
- Climates: Subtropical, Temperate
- Habitat: Saltwater
- Native: Africa, Europe, Asia
- Distribution: Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Norwegian sea, North Sea, Irish Sea
Classification
- Genus: Argentina - Argentina
- Family: Argentinidae - Herring smelts
- Order: Argentiniformes - Marine smelts
- Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
- Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes
Description
Eastern Atlantic: northern Norway to Western Sahara including southern Iceland, Faroe Islands, Shetlands and Mediterranean. Max length : 35 cm SL Relatively common on the continental shelf and upper slope, probably schools near the bottom. Depth range from 50-500 m and from 288-700 m in the eastern Ionian Sea. Feeds on bottom-living polychaetes, mollusks and crustaceans, also on pelagic invertebrates and fishes. Spawns from winter to spring in the Mediterranean and from March to July off the British coasts. Its eggs and larvae are pelagic. They become sexually mature at a length of 12-13cm. Smell like a cucumber.