Neotropical silversides
Encyclopedia
The neotropical silversides are a family
Atherinopsidae of fish
in the order Atheriniformes
. The approximately 104 species in 13 genera are distributed throughout the tropical and temperate
waters of the New World
, including both marine and freshwater
habitat
s. The familiar grunion
s and Atlantic silverside
belong to this family.
Family (biology)
In 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. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Atherinopsidae of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
in the order Atheriniformes
Atheriniformes
Atheriniformes, 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...
. The approximately 104 species in 13 genera are distributed throughout the tropical and temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
waters of the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, including both marine and freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s. The familiar grunion
Grunion
Grunion are two fish species of the genus Leuresthes: the California grunion, L. tenuis, and the Gulf grunion L. sardinas...
s and Atlantic silverside
Atlantic silverside
The Atlantic silverside, Menidia menidia, is one of the most common fish in the Chesapeake Bay and in the Barnegat Bay. It is a common subject of scientific research because has a sensitivity to environmental changes....
belong to this family.
Genera
- Atherinella
- Atherinops
- Atherinopsos
- BasilichthysBasilichthysBasilichthys is a genus of fish in the Atherinopsidae family.It contains the following species:* Basilichthys australis* Basilichthys cuyanus Burmeister, 1861* Basilichthys microlepidotus...
(3 species) - Colpichthys
- ChirostomaChirostomaChirostoma is a genus of fish in the Atherinidae family.It contains the following species:* Chirostoma bartoni* Chirostoma regani...
(2 species) - Labidesthes
- Leuresthes (2 species)
- Melanorhinus
- Membras
- MenidiaMenidiaMenidia is a genus of silverside fish found all around the shores of the Gulf of Maine from Nova Scotia to Cape Cod.The species M. clarkhubbsi, an all-female species, reproduces asexually-References:...
(7 species) - OdontesthesOdontesthesOdontesthes is one of thirteen genera of fish belonging to the Atherinopsidae family. It has 19 species.-Species:* Odontesthes argentinensis - * Odontesthes bicudo Malabarba - and Dyer, 2002...
(19 species) - PoblanaPoblanaPoblana is a genus of fish in the Atherinidae family. It presently contains four described species.-Species:* Charal de Alchichica * Poblana ferdebueni* Charal de La Preciosa...
(4 species)