Frostfish
Lepidopus caudatus
Not Kosher
Description
The silver scabbardfish, 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 in length.
It's eaten. In New Zealand the Maori call it para and ate it when schools washed ashore, especially around Moeraki in Otago. It's also sold as food in Europe, including Sicilian markets.
The silver scabbardfish is a benthopelagic cutlassfish found throughout the temperate seas of the world. It moves closer to shore to spawn in the winter months.
Also known as
- Silver scabbardfish
- Beltfish
- Para
Frostfish in foreign languages
| Scientific | Lepidopus caudatus |
| Spanish | Basurero |
| French | Sabre |
| German | Strumpfbandfisch |
| Russian | Лепидоп |
| Chinese | 大西洋叉尾帶魚 |
Gallery
Warnings & Kosher Issues
- Not kosher when in doubt. Scabbardfish scales are tiny or absent, so the kosher status is debated. Ask a trusted rabbi.
- Kosher status needs checking. Scabbardfishes and cutlassfishes are widely described as having very small scales or none, and standard fish references couldn't confirm true scales here. Verify with a kashrut authority before relying on it.
- Don't confuse it with the Atlantic tomcod, which is also called frostfish but is a different, cod-family fish.