Species: Atherinella blackburni, Beach Silverside

Atherinella blackburni (Schultz, 1949)

Beach Silverside

Elongate, body relatively deep; sensory pits on top of snout not as 4 large quadrangular pits; top jaw extendible, premaxilla with rear end greatly expanded, without expanded bony process above its center; first dorsal fin small, IV, its origin behind origin of anal fin; pectoral fins large, reaching well past pelvic fins, inserted high on body, above mid-level of eye; mid-side scales about 43-54; 25-27 scales around circumference of body; scale sheath on anal fin present as a single row of large scales along entire base of fin; a large scale at base of pelvic fins.

Seagreen above, crosshatched with dark pigment lines; snout darkly pigmented; silver midlateral band prominent, with dark top edge.

Size: reaches 13 cm.

Habitat: over sandy bottoms of coastal shores and estuaries.

Depth: 0-10 m?

The NW Caribbean to Brazil.