New World Silverside Family – Atherinopsidae

There are currently TEN members of the New World Silverside or Atherinopsidae Family, two from the Atlantic Ocean and seven from the Pacific Ocean,  presented in this website:

FROM THE ATLANTIC (3):

FROM THE PACIFIC (7):

The New World Silverside or Atherinopsidae Family has one hundred eight global members that are found in thirteen genera of which nineteen are found in Mexican waters, eight in the Atlantic Ocean and eleven in the Pacific Ocean. In Mexico they are known as charales and pejerreyes.

The New World Silversides in Mexico are a small-sized fish with most being less than 20.0 cm (7.9 inches). They are slender elongated fish that are silvery with a strong silver stripe mid-flank. They are found in freshwater and marine temperate waters of North America, in freshwater and tropical and subtropical waters of Central America, and in temperate freshwater of South America. Most reside in shallow coastal waters, normally out of the surge zone. They are distinguished by a series of external characteristics that include an anal fin with 1 spine followed by soft rays, a forked caudal fin, 2 separated dorsal fins, the first with flexible spines and the second with 1 spine followed by soft rays, pectoral fins that are high on the body above the mid-level of the eyes, and pelvic fins that have 1 spine and 5 rays located on the belly. They have large eyes, a small terminal mouth that opens in the front and may be extendible, and small teeth on both jaws. Their gill rakers are large. They are covered with either large or small smooth scales and they do not have a lateral line. They feed on zooplankton, insects, small fish, and snails. Reproduction is oviparous with external fertilization. Some are fished by recreational fishermen while others are fished commercially in certain regions or raised by aquaculture.

From a conservation perspective all New World Silversides are currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations; however, these populations are poorly monitored. They are prone to habitat loss, such as the eel grass that many use for spawning, from coastal development. Most New World Silversides are very small and of limited interest to most; they are therefore poorly studied and little is known about their behavioral patterns.