Atheriniformes
{{Short description|Order of fishes}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|Silverside (fish)|Silverside shiner}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Silversides
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|50|0|Early Eocene to present}}
| image = red_m_boesemani.jpg
| image_upright = 1.1
| image_caption = Boeseman's rainbowfish, Melanotaenia boesemani, red variety
| image2 = Menidia menidia RR 08-11-19 0545 (48555459552).jpg
| image2_caption = Atlantic silverside, Menidia menidia
| taxon = Atheriniformes
| authority = D. E. Rosen, 1966
| subdivision_ranks = Suborders
| subdivision = *Atherinopsoidei
| type_species = Atherina hepsetus
| type_species_authority = Linnaeus, 1758{{Cof record|genid=151|title=Atherina|access-date=16 July 2019}}
}}
The Atheriniformes, also known as the silversides, are an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the Old & New World silversides, the rainbowfishes, and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae. The order includes at least 354 species. They are found worldwide in tropical and temperate marine and freshwater environments.
Description
Atheriniformes are generally elongated and silvery in colour, although exceptions do exist. They are typically small fish, with the largest being the Argentinian silverside, with a head-body length of {{convert|50|cm|in|abbr=on}},{{Cite web |title=Odontesthes bonariensis, Argentinian silverside : fisheries, aquaculture, gamefish |url=https://www.fishbase.de/summary/Odontesthes-bonariensis.html |access-date=2022-08-21 |website=www.fishbase.de}} but possibly up to 82 cm (32 in).{{Cite web |title=Fishing Worldrecords {{!}} silversides {{!}} Odontesthes bonariensis |url=http://www.fishing-worldrecords.com/scientificname/Odontesthes%20bonariensis/show |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=www.fishing-worldrecords.com}} The smallest species, such as the Bangkok minnow, reach only {{convert|2|cm|in|abbr=on}} in adult length.{{cite book |editor1=Paxton, J.R. |editor2=Eschmeyer, W.N. |author= Allen, Gerald R.|year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes|publisher= Academic Press|location=San Diego|pages= 153–156|isbn= 0-12-547665-5}}
Members of the order usually have two dorsal fins, the first with flexible spines, and an anal fin with one spine at the front. The lateral line is typically weak or absent. Atheriniform larvae share several characteristics; the gut is unusually short, a single row of melanophores occurs along the back, and the fin rays do not become evident until some time after hatching. They scatter their eggs widely, with most species attaching them to aquatic plants.
Taxonomy
Classification of the Atheriniformes is uncertain, with the best evidence for monophyly in the larval characteristics mentioned below. Their closest relatives are thought to be the Cyprinodontiformes.
Nelson 2016 recognizes the infraseries Atherinomorpha, part of the sub series Ovalentaria which includes the orders Atheriniformes, Beloniformes, and Cyprinodontiformes, citing the larval characteristics and supporting molecular studies of these taxa as support for monophyly of this grouping. The sister taxon to the Atherinomorpha appears to be the Mugiliformes.{{cite book |title=Fishes of the World |edition=5th |author1=J. S. Nelson |author2=T. C. Grande |author3=M. V. H. Wilson |year=2016 |pages=354 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-1-118-34233-6 |url=https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ |access-date=2019-06-18 |archive-date=2019-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408194051/https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ |url-status=dead }}
Following Nelson (2006), the family Melanotaeniidae includes the subfamilies Bedotiinae, Melanotaeniinae, Pseudomugilinae, and Telmatherininae, to demonstrate their monophyly.{{cite book|title=Fishes of the World|last=Nelson|first=Joseph S.|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc|year=2006|isbn=0-471-25031-7}} However, in a 2004 study, a different classification scheme classifies the families Bedotiidae, Melanotaeniidae, and Pseudomugilidae (also include Telmatherinine genera) in a suborder Melanotaenioidei.{{cite journal|url=http://research.amnh.org/scicomp/pdfs/Sparks_Smith2004b.pdf|title=Phylogeny and biogeography of the Malagasy and Australasian rainbowfishes (Teleostei: Melanotaenioidei): Gondwanan vicariance and evolution in freshwater|first=John S.|last=Sparks|author2=Smith, W. Leo|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=33|year=2004|pages=719–734|format=PDF|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2004.07.002|access-date=2009-06-22|pmid=15522799|issue=3}} Thus, the number of families in Atheriniformes varies from author to author.
Based on Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (2025):{{Cite web |last1=Fricke |first1=R. |last2=Eschmeyer |first2=W. N. |last3=Van der Laan |first3=R. |date=2025 |title=ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION |url=https://www.calacademy.org/eschmeyers-catalog-of-fishes-classification |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=California Academy of Sciences |language=en}}
- Order Atheriniformes
- Family Atherinidae (Old World silversides)
- Family Bedotiidae (Malagasy rainbowfishes)
- Family Melanotaeniidae (rainbowfishes)
- Family Pseudomugilidae (blue eyes)
- Family Telmatherinidae (sailfin silversides)
- Family Notocheiridae (surf silversides)
- Family Isonidae (surf sardines)
- Family Atherionidae (pricklenose silversides)
- Family Dentatherinidae (tusked silversides)
- Family Phallostethidae (priapumfishes)
- Family Atherinopsidae (New World silversides)
File:Rhamphognathus paralepoides.jpg, a unique predatory silverside from the Eocene]]
In addition, two extinct families (Mesogasteridae, containing Latellagnathus & Mesogaster, and Rhamphognathidae, containing only Rhamphognathus) are known from the Early Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy.{{Cite journal |last1=Carnevale |first1=G. |last2=Bannikov |first2=Alexandre F. |last3=Marramà |first3=G. |last4=Tyler |first4=James C. |last5=Zorzin. |first5=R. |date=2014 |title=The Bolca Fossil-Lagerstätte: A window into the Eocene World. 5. The Pesciara- Monte Postale Fossil-Lagerstätte: 2. Fishes and other vertebrates. Excursion guide |url=https://iris.unito.it/bitstream/2318/149338/1/Carnevale%20et%20al%202014%20The%20Pesciara%20F-L.%20Fishes%20and%20other%20vertebrates2.pdf |journal=Rendiconti della Società Paleontologica Italiana |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=i–xxvii |hdl=10088/25678}} Uniquely, these large-sized atheriniforms appear to have adapted for a macropredatory lifestyle, potentially due to open ecological niches at the time.{{Cite journal |last=Capobianco |first=Alessio |last2=Beckett |first2=Hermione T. |last3=Steurbaut |first3=Etienne |last4=Gingerich |first4=Philip D. |last5=Carnevale |first5=Giorgio |last6=Friedman |first6=Matt |date=2020-05-13 |title=Large-bodied sabre-toothed anchovies reveal unanticipated ecological diversity in early Palaeogene teleosts |url=https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.192260 |journal=Royal Society Open Science |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=192260 |doi=10.1098/rsos.192260 |pmc=7277248 |pmid=32537214}}
Timeline of genera
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from: -65.5 till: -55.8 color:paleocene text:Paleocene
from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:Eocene
from: -33.9 till: -23.03 color:oligocene text:Oligocene
from: -23.03 till: -5.332 color:miocene text:Miocene
from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text:Plio.
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color:eocene bar:NAM2 from:-37.2 till:-5.332 text:Palaeoatherina
color:eocene bar:NAM3 from:-37.2 till:0 text:Pranesus
color:miocene bar:NAM4 from:-23.03 till:0 text:Stenatherina
color:miocene bar:NAM5 from:-11.608 till:0 text:Atherinopsis
color:pliocene bar:NAM6 from:-5.332 till:0 text:Chirostoma
color:pliocene bar:NAM7 from:-5.332 till:0 text:Colpichthys
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from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text:Plio.
from: -2.588 till: -0.0117 color:pleistocene text:Pleist.
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from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:Paleogene
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References
{{Reflist}}
- {{cite journal|last=Sepkoski |first=Jack |title=A compendium of fossil marine animal genera |journal=Bulletins of American Paleontology |volume=363 |pages=1–560 |year=2002 |url=http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class |access-date=2011-05-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723131237/http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class |archive-date=2011-07-23 }}
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