a saltwater fish found in Arctic and subarctic waters of North America. In the Pacific it ranges southward to Washington and in the Atlantic south to Nova Scotia. It is abundant along Newfoundland, ranking in numbers with the common cod ... A slender-bodied fish, the capelin usually grows to a length of 7 to 9 inches (18 to 23 cm). It is covered with minute scales. Spawning males have two ridges of elongated scales on each side of the body. These ridges have a villous, or hairy, appearance ... The capelin, Mallotus villosus, belongs to the smelt family, Osmeridae, order Clupeiformes.