Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

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Species: Atherinomorus stipes, Hardhead silverside

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

silver stripe: center wide, front narrow
lower jaw: inner rear surface only slightly raised
gill rakers >/=24
center lower jaw - teeth projecting
breast, throat, D & A bases scaled

Atherinomorus stipes (Muller & Troschel in Schomburgk, 1848)

Hardhead silverside

Eye large (~ twice snout length); head wide (63% of head length) and relatively deep, upper profile straight; bony ridge on each side of snout; top jaw not extendable, extending back past front edge of eye, front (premaxilla) bone with rear end narrow and pointed (not expanded), and with a bony process above its center; inner rear surface of lower jaw only slightly raised; teeth small, simple, in narrow bands on jaws, center of lower lip with small, outward pointing teeth; projection at rear of lower jaw small; 1st dorsal fin V spines, entirely before anal origin; 2nd dorsal origin after anal origin, I, 8-10; anal I, 11-13, anus well before anal fin; scales with ruffled rear margins; 37-42 scales on lateral line; breast and throat scaled; a sheath of scales on bases of dorsal, anal and pectoral fins.

Greenish on back with silver stripe (at least ¾ height of scale under dorsal fin) overlying a black one along mid-flank, stripe narrow at front (width < ½ pectoral fin base); two series of black dots along sides of tail; tail tips often black in large fish.

Size: 10 cm.

Habitat: shallow waters over reefs and nearby soft bottoms.

Depth: 0-10 m?

The Gulf of Mexico to Argentina.


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Salinity
  • Brackish
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Near Surface
  • Surface
  • Water column only
Habitat
  • Estuary
  • Water column
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Pelagic
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Planktivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Zooplankton
  • Pelagic fish eggs
  • Pelagic fish larvae
Egg Type
  • Pelagic larva
  • Data
  • Benthic
Global Endemism
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • All species.
Regional Endemism
  • GC non-endemic
  • All species..
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Island (s)
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Extends South of GC
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 10
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 10