---
title: Silverside (Atherinidae)
scientific_name: Atherinidae
common_name: Silverside
rank: Family
published: 2024-11-19T18:41:51.573Z
updated: 2026-08-03T21:17:26.818Z
tags: Silverside, Atherinidae, Red Sea, Marine Life, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/silverside
---

# Silverside (*Atherinidae*)

## Quick facts

- **Rank:** Family
- **Scientific name:** Atherinidae
- **Body shape:** Elongate - Long and slender, but still fish-shaped - trumpetfishes, needlefishes, cornetfishes.
- **Species listed here:** 4

## How to recognise this group

- elongated, slender body
- small size, typically 5-15 cm
- translucent or pale body with prominent silvery stripe along flanks
- forming large, dense schools
- often near surface in shallow coastal waters

Silversides (family Atherinidae) are small, slender, schooling bony fishes, typically 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 in) long. Their bodies are elongated, translucent or pale, with a prominent silvery stripe running along each flank, which gives them their common name. They possess two widely separated dorsal fins, the first with flexible spines and the second with a spine and soft rays. The mouth is small and typically terminal.

These fish form large, compact aggregations, often near the surface in shallow coastal waters. They are found over reef flats, in lagoons, and near jetties, usually at depths less than 10 metres (33 ft). Schools feed primarily on zooplankton and small benthic invertebrates, moving rapidly to evade predators. Silversides are extremely common and conspicuous throughout the Red Sea, frequently encountered by divers.


## Species (4)

- [Gudgeon Silverside (Hypoatherina temminckii)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/silverside/gudgeon-silverside)
- [Hardyhead silverside (Atherinomorus forskalii)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/silverside/hardyhead-silverside)
- [Red Sea Silverside (Hypoatherina golanii)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/silverside/red-sea-silverside)
- [Robust Silverside (Atherinomorus lacunosus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/silverside/robust-silverside)

---

*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/silverside)*
*Updated: August 3, 2026*