What does "capelin" mean?

Capelin: A small marine fish (Mallotus villosus) of the family Salmonidæ, very abundant on the coasts of Greenland, Iceland, Newfoundland, and Alaska. It is used as a bait for the cod. [Written also capelan and caplin.] Note: This fish, which is like a smelt, is called by the Spaniards anchova, and by the Portuguese capelina. Fisheries of U. S. (1884).