# Silver scabbardfish

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{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Speciesbox 
| image =Drawing_of_Lepidopus_caudatus_from_The_Royal_Natural_History_(1896).jpg
| status= DD
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name = IUCN>{{cite journal | author = Iwamoto, T. | year = 2015 | title = ''Lepidopus caudatus'' | journal = [The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/The_IUCN_Red_List_of_Threatened_Species) | volume = 2015 | page = e.T198721A42691759 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T198721A42691759.en | doi-access = free }}</ref>
| taxon = Lepidopus caudatus
| authority = ([Euphrasen](/source/Bengt_Anders_Euphras%C3%A9n), 1788)
| synonyms = *''Trichiurus caudatus'' <small>Euphrasen, 1788</small> 
*''Lepidopus argenteus'' <small>[Bonnaterre](/source/Pierre_Joseph_Bonnaterre), 1788</small> 
*''Trichiurus ensiformis'' <small>[Vandelli](/source/Domenico_Vandelli), 1797</small> 
*''Lepidopus gouanianus'' <small>[Lacepède](/source/Bernard_Germain_de_Lac%C3%A9p%C3%A8de), 1800</small> 
*''Trichiurus gladius'' <small>Holten, 1802</small> 
*''Vandellius lusitanicus'' <small>[Shaw](/source/George_Shaw_(biologist)), 1803</small> 
*''Scarcina argyrea'' <small>[Rafinesque](/source/Constantine_Samuel_Rafinesque), 1810</small> 
*''Lepidopus peronii'' <small>[Risso](/source/Antoine_Risso), 1810</small> 
*''Ziphotheca tetradens'' <small>[Montagu](/source/George_Montagu_(naturalist)), 1811</small> 
*''Lepidopus xantusi'' <small>[Goode](/source/George_Brown_Goode) & [Bean](/source/Tarleton_Hoffman_Bean), 1896</small> 
*''Lepidopus lex'' <small>Phillipps, 1932</small> 
}}

The '''silver scabbardfish''' (''Lepidopus caudatus''), also known as the '''frostfish''' or '''beltfish''' is a [benthopelagic](/source/Benthopelagic_fish) [cutlassfish](/source/cutlassfish) of the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Trichiuridae](/source/Trichiuridae) found throughout the temperate seas of the world. It grows to over {{convert|2|m}} in length. 
300px|thumbnail|center|Silver scabbardfish sold in Syracuse (Italy)

==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.<ref name="Secrets">{{citeq|Q114871191|pp=214-217}}</ref>

==In a human context==

''Lepidopus caudatus'' is a traditional food for the [Māori people](/source/M%C4%81ori_people) of New Zealand, known by the name {{lang|mi|pāra}}. The fish was not typically caught, but eaten as a supplementary food when schools washed ashore, especially common around [Moeraki](/source/Moeraki) in [Otago](/source/Otago).<ref name="Secrets"/> 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.<ref name="Secrets"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{FishBase| genus = Lepidopus | species = caudatus | month = January | year = 2006}}
* 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}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1529720}}

Category:Trichiuridae
Category:Fish described in 1788

{{Scombroidei-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Silver scabbardfish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_scabbardfish) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_scabbardfish?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.