The
Old World silversides are a
familyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...
,
Atherinidae, of
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
in the order
AtheriniformesAtheriniformes, also known as the silversides, is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the Old World silversides and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae...
. They occur worldwide in tropical and temperate waters. About two thirds of the species are marine, and the remainder live in fresh water.
Silversides are relatively small, with the largest species, the jacksmelt,
Atherinopsis californiensis, reaching , while most are under , and several are not recorded at more than .
The
Old World silversides are a
familyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...
,
Atherinidae, of
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
in the order
AtheriniformesAtheriniformes, also known as the silversides, is an order of ray-finned fish that includes the Old World silversides and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae...
. They occur worldwide in tropical and temperate waters. About two thirds of the species are marine, and the remainder live in fresh water.
Silversides are relatively small, with the largest species, the jacksmelt,
Atherinopsis californiensis, reaching , while most are under , and several are not recorded at more than . The body is generally elongate. Distinctive characters include two
dorsal finA dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Depending on the species, an animal can have up to three of them. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns...
s widely separated, with the first consisting of flexible spines and the second having one spine followed by soft rays, while the anal fin has one spine on the leading edge followed by soft rays. The pectoral fins tend to be high, and there is no
lateral lineIn aquatic organisms , the lateral line is a sense organ used to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water. Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the vicinity of the gill covers to the base of the tail...
. On the flanks there is a broad silvery band. The
scaleIn most biological nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration...
s are relatively large.
They feed on
zooplanktonZooplankton are the heterotrophic type of plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in the water column of oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The name of zooplankton is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
. Some species, such as the
hardyhead silversideThe hardyhead silverside, Atherinomorus lacunosus, is a silverside of the family Atherinidae, found circumglobally in subtropical oceans near the surface. Its length is up to 25 cm.-References:...
,
Atherinomorus lacunosus, are commercially fished.
The family Atherinopsidae (neotropical silversides) is closely related.
Classification
The family Atherinidae contains about 165 species, grouped into 25 genera, including the following::
- Alepidomus
- Atherina
- Atherinason
- Atherinomorus
Atherinomorus is a genus of silversides in the family Atherinidae.- Species :* Spatular-scale silverside, Atherinomorus aetholepis
Kimura, Iwatsuki & Yoshino, 2002...
- Atherinosoma
- Atherion
- Craterocephalus
Craterocephalus is a genus of fish in the Atherinidae family.It contains the following species:* Darling River hardyhead * Rendahl's hardyhead...
- Hypoatherina
- Kestratherina
- Labidesthes
- Leptatherina
- Menidia
Menidia is a genus of silverside fish found all around the shores of the Gulf of Maine from Nova Scotia to Cape Cod.-Description:...
- Poblana
Poblana is a genus of fish in the Atherinidae family.It contains the following species:* charal de alchichica * Poblana ferdebueni* charal de la preciosa * charal de quechulac...
- Stenatherina
- Teramulus
Teramulus is a genus of fish in the Atherinidae family.It contains the following species:* vily * Teramulus waterloti...