Genus: Atherinomorus, Hardhead Silverside, Silversides

ATHERINOMORUS

SILVERSIDES

Eye large (> snout length); head relatively wide (width 62% of length), top 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; front of lower lip with small, outward pointing teeth; gill rakers long, slender, 24 or more; preopercle with distinct notch on front border; 1st dorsal IV-VI, its origin well before anal origin, behind pectoral origin & above or behind tips of pelvics; pelvics inserted closer to pectoral base than anal fin origin; scales vertically elongate; bases of dorsal, anal & pectoral fin rays with scales; breast and throat scaled; large scales under pectoral base & on operculum; silver stripe at least 3/4 height scale under dorsal fin.

This tropical genus, with 11 species, occurs in the tropical west Atlantic and Indian Ocean, a single W Atlantic species occurs in the Greater Caribbean.