Atherina - Smelts

Classification

Genus: Atherina - Smelts
Family: Atherinidae - Old World silverside
Order: Atheriniformes - Silversides
Class: Actinopteri - Ray-finned fishes
Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes

Description

Atherina is a genus of fish of silverside family Atherinidae, found in the temperate and tropic zones. Up to 15 cm long, they are widespread in the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Sea of Azov in lagoons and estuaries. It comes to the low stream of the Dnieper, Southern Bug, Dniester and Danube Rivers.

There are currently five recognized species in this genus:

Atherina boyeri A. Risso, 1810 (Big-scale sand smelt)
Atherina breviceps Valenciennes, 1835 (Cape silverside)
Atherina hepsetus Linnaeus, 1758 (Mediterranean sand smelt)
Atherina lopeziana Rossignol & Blache, 1961
Atherina presbyter G. Cuvier, 1829 (Sand smelt)

Species

Sand smelt
(Atherina presbyter)

Big-scale sand smelt
(Atherina boyeri)

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