Atlantic silverside facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Atlantic silverside |
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The Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia) is a small fish found along the eastern coast of North America. People in the northeastern United States sometimes call it "spearing." This fish lives in the West Atlantic, from Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence all the way down to northeastern Florida. It is very common in places like the Chesapeake Bay and the Barnegat Bay. Scientists often study the Atlantic silverside because it is very sensitive to changes in its environment.
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What Does the Atlantic Silverside Look Like?
The Atlantic silverside is usually about 15 cm (5.9 in) long. That's about the length of a regular pencil! Its body is mostly silver and white, which helps it blend in with the water.
What Do They Eat?
These fish are not picky eaters. They munch on smaller living things, both animals and plants. Their diet includes tiny crustaceans, algae, worms (called annelids), small shrimp, and tiny floating creatures like zooplankton, copepods, and amphipods. Sometimes, they even eat small squid and insects.
Who Eats the Atlantic Silverside?
Many larger animals like to eat Atlantic silversides. Bigger fish such as striped bass, blue fish, and Atlantic mackerel hunt them. Lots of water birds also prey on them. These birds include egrets, terns, cormorants, and gulls.
Where Do Atlantic Silversides Live?
Atlantic silversides usually live close to the water's edge. You can often find them swimming in brackish waters. This means water that is a mix of fresh and salty water, like at the mouths of rivers and streams that flow into the ocean.
Their Favorite Hiding Spots
These small fish often gather in seagrass beds. Seagrass provides a safe place for them to hide from predators. It also offers a secure spot for them to lay their eggs.
Seasonal Movements
During the winter, most Atlantic silversides swim into deeper water. This helps them avoid the very cold temperatures near the surface. In the summer, they move back to the shallow areas along the shoreline.
How Do Atlantic Silversides Stay Safe?
Atlantic silversides have several ways to protect themselves from predators.
Hiding and Blending In
One main defense is to hide in seagrass beds, where they can be hard to spot. Their silver and white colors also help them blend into the water. This makes it confusing for predators to see which way the fish are swimming.
Safety in Numbers
The strongest way Atlantic silversides defend themselves is by swimming together in large groups called schools. When many fish swim together, it makes it harder for a predator to pick out just one fish. This "strength in numbers" strategy helps reduce the chance that any single fish will be caught.
What Do Atlantic Silversides Need to Survive?
The things Atlantic silversides need to survive can be a bit different depending on where they live. But generally, they like water that is around 70 °F (21 °C). They can live in water with different amounts of salt, from almost no salt to very salty water. They also need water that is well-mixed. This prevents the water from having too little oxygen, a condition called hypoxia.
