DISTINGUISHING FEATURES AND BEHAVIORS

The Atlantic silverside is a long, slender, and thin-bodied fish with two dorsal fins, a rounded white belly, and large scales. It has a short head with large eyes and a small mouth. Along each side, from the pectoral fin to its caudal fin, is a distinct silver band outlined by a narrow black stripe. Silversides resemble anchovies, differing mainly by a smaller mouth.

Atlantic silversides congregate in large schools that usually consist of similar-sized fish. They are found along the shore, often within a few feet of the water's edge. The silverside is commonly found in brackish waters where streams and rivers meet the sea, swimming among the submerged grasses. They are rarely found in water deeper than a few feet in summer, but will descend to greater depths in the winter to avoid the cold temperatures of the water.

This omnivorous fish feeds on zooplankton, copepods, shrimp, amphipods, young squid, worms, and even insects and algae. They are favored prey for larger predatory fish, such as mackerel, striped bass, and bluefish, and are frequently eaten by birds such as terms and cormorants.

The Atlantic silverside frequently interacts with another similar species, the inland or waxen silverside, Menidia beryllina. The inland silverside is smaller and stouter than the Atlantic silverside and is duller in color. These two species occasionally school together and can coexist without significant competition for habitat, food or space.

RELATIONSHIP TO PEOPLE

The Atlantic silverside is the most abundant fish in Narragansett Bay. Silversides are an important food source for young bluefish, mackerel, striped bass, and most shore birds. In Narragansett Bay, silversides are used to bait eel pots. Flocks of birds hovering and diving usually indicate the presence of silversides as baitfish being fed upon by a school of juvenile bluefish or stripers.

The silverside is a common subject for scientific research because it is sensitive to extreme environmental conditions such as low oxygen levels, drastic temperature changes, and contaminants in the water.