Atherina
Sign in to saveAtherina is a genus of fish of silverside family Atherinidae, found in the temperate and tropic zones. Up to long, they are widespread in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Sea of Azov; in lagoons such as Syvash in Ukraine; and estuaries. They enter the lower reaches of the Dnieper, Southern Bug, Dniester and Danube Rivers. They can also be found in the freshwater Lake Trichonis of Greece, and there is an isolated population in the Caspian Sea.
Article
4 sectionsContents
- Species
- Commercial importance
- Fossil record
- References
Atherina is a genus of fish of silverside family Atherinidae, found in the temperate and tropic zones. Up to long, they are widespread in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Sea of Azov; in lagoons such as Syvash in Ukraine; and estuaries. They enter the lower reaches of the Dnieper, Southern Bug, Dniester and Danube Rivers. They can also be found in the freshwater Lake Trichonis of Greece, and there is an isolated population in the Caspian Sea.
==Species== There are currently seven recognized species in this genus: Atherina boyeri A. Risso, 1810 (Big-scale sand smelt) Atherina breviceps Valenciennes, 1835 (Cape silverside) Atherina caspia Eichwald, 1831 Atherina harringtonensis Goode, 1877 Atherina hepsetus Linnaeus, 1758 (Mediterranean sand smelt) Atherina lopeziana Rossignol & Blache, 1961 Atherina presbyter G. Cuvier, 1829 (Sand smelt)