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| fishes text index | photo index |
| Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrate > fishes |
| Silversides Family Atherinidae updated Jun 08
Where seen? These small flashy fishes are commonly seen on many of our shores. They are more active at night, when they are often seen swimming near the surface in shallow waters. What are silversides? Silversides belong to Family Atherinidae. According to Fishbase: The family has 25 genera and 165 species in tropical and temperate waters. Most are marine although there are about 50 species confined to freshwater and some can move from the sea into freshwater. Features: 3-10cm long. These indeed silvery fishes are small, slender and streamlined, with large eyes and relatively large scales. They have small mouths that are upturned toward the water surface. They have two widely separated dorsal fins. Often seen in groups, sometimes in large schools. They are also called hardyheads. What do they eat? Many feed on zoo plankton or other tiny creatures that live in the water column (as opposed to on the sea bottom). Role in the habitat: They are important prey for other larger fishes and sea birds. Status and threats: Our silversides are not listed among the threatened animals of Singapore. However, like other creatures of the intertidal zone, they are affected by human activities such as reclamation and pollution. Over-collection can also have an impact on local populations and the other marinelife that depend on them as prey. |
 Kusu Island, Apr 05  Sometimes seen in schools. St. John's Island, Jan 06  Sentosa, Oct 03 |
They are slender and silvery, often bluish.| Family
Atherinidae recorded for Singapore from Wee Y.C. and Peter K. L. Ng. 1994. A First Look at Biodiversity in Singapore.
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Links
References
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Periplus Editions. 292 pp.|
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