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Silversides
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THE silversides are interesting carnivorous fishes, mostly of small size, living in great schools near the shore in temperate and tropical seas; a few species in fresh water; all the species having a silvery band along the side, this sometimes underlaid by black pigment. Genera about 15; species about 70. All of them which are large enough are highly prized as food, hence the common name "fishes of the king," pescados del rey, pesce re, or peixe rey.
The majority of the species, however, are too small and unimportant to merit more than a brief mention. The principal genera are Atherina, Chirostoma, Menidia, Eslopsarum and Labidesthes.
Atherina contains numerous species 5 or 6 of which are found in our waters. A. laticeps, found abundantly at Key West, is the most important species.
The genus Chirostoma is represented in the fresh waters of Mexico by several species, the most important of which is the pescado blanco de chalco (C. humboldtianum), which is found in the lakes about the City of Mexico and is an important food-fish.
Its flesh is coarser and firmer than in the more transparent members of the family which are called pescado blanco.
The genus Eslopsarum is close to Chirostoma, differing only in the larger scales. Only 2 species are known, both from fresh waters of Mexico.
The true silversides (Menidia) are numerous as to species, there being about a dozen or more in our waters.
They are all of small size, some entering or dwelling in fresh waters, and all of some little value as food.