The hairy scaled fish gets its name from the Ainu people, and is named for the fish's fresh cucumber-like odor. It is also known as the smelt and the Ikaruga male. It is mainly distributed in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Northwest Pacific Ocean off Russia. One species is domestically produced. It is an important edible fish, which is the food of warm-water fish pike and cold-water European whitefish and Atlantic salmon. The capelin has a high nutritional value, especially rich in calcium.