Silversides & rainbowfishes

122 species · 8 families

Silversides and rainbowfishes are small schooling fish with two dorsal fins and often a shimmering flank that lights up in the light. Rainbowfishes from Australia and New Guinea are prized in the aquarium for their play of colours that shifts with the angle of light. Silversides often live in vast schools along coasts and brackish water and are important food for larger fish. They have a slender, semi-transparent body and large eyes. It is a lively group that catches the light like a school of moving jewels.

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Ajamaru rainbowfish

Melanotaenia ajamaruensis

Melanotaeniidae

Alvarez silverside

Atherinella alvarezi

Atherinopsidae

Antonia's sailfin silverside

Telmatherina antoniae

Telmatherinidae

Arfak rainbowfish

Melanotaenia arfakensis

Melanotaeniidae

Argentinian silverside

Odontesthes bonariensis

Atherinopsidae

Arnhem land blue-eye

Pseudomugil tenellus

Pseudomugilidae

Atlantic silverside

Menidia menidia

Atherinopsidae

Australian rainbow

Melanotaenia nigrans

Melanotaeniidae

Australian rainbowfish

Melanotaenia fluviatilis

Melanotaeniidae

Australian rainbowfish

Melanotaenia australis

Melanotaeniidae

Banded rainbowfish

Melanotaenia trifasciata

Melanotaeniidae

Barnes's hardyhead

Hypoatherina barnesi

Atherinidae

Barred rainbowfish

Chilatherina fasciata

Melanotaeniidae

Bearded hardyhead

Atherion elymus

Atherinidae

Big-scale sand smelt

Atherina boyeri

Atherinidae

Blackmast hardyhead

Craterocephalus stramineus

Atherinidae

Bleher's rainbowfish

Chilatherina bleheri

Melanotaeniidae

Blue eye

Pseudomugil signifer

Pseudomugilidae

Blue silverside

Melanorhinus cyanellus

Atherinopsidae

Blueback blue-eye

Pseudomugil cyanodorsalis

Pseudomugilidae

Bonti sailfin silverside

Telmatherina bonti

Telmatherinidae

Brazilian silverside

Atherinella brasiliensis

Atherinopsidae

Broad-banded hardyhead

Atherinomorus lacunosus

Atherinidae

Brook silverside

Labidesthes sicculus

Atherinopsidae

Bullhead fry

Hypoatherina harringtonensis

Atherinidae

Cairns rainbowfish

Cairnsichthys rhombosomoides

Melanotaeniidae

California grunion

Leuresthes tenuis

Atherinopsidae

Cape silverside

Atherina breviceps

Atherinidae

Celebes rainbowfish

Telmatherina celebensis

Telmatherinidae

Celebes rainbowfish

Marosatherina ladigesi

Telmatherinidae

Chagres silverside

Atherinella chagresi

Atherinopsidae

Checkered rainbowfish

Melanotaenia splendida

Melanotaeniidae

Chilean silverside

Basilichthys australis

Atherinopsidae

Chilean silverside

Odontesthes regia

Atherinopsidae

Common hardyhead

Atherinomorus vaigiensis

Atherinidae

Conway blue-eye

Pseudomugil connieae

Pseudomugilidae

Crimsonspotted rainbowfish

Melanotaenia duboulayi

Melanotaeniidae

Cuba silverside

Alepidomus evermanni

Atherinidae

Dalhousie hardyhead

Craterocephalus dalhousiensis

Atherinidae

Deep freshwater hardyhead

Craterocephalus cuneiceps

Atherinidae

Delta silverside

Colpichthys regis

Atherinopsidae

Dwarf rainbowfish

Melanotaenia maccullochi

Melanotaeniidae

Eendracht land silverside

Atherinomorus endrachtensis

Atherinidae

Elongate hardyhead

Leptatherina presbyteroides

Atherinidae

Elongate hardyhead

Atherinosoma elongata

Atherinidae

Estuarine hardyhead

Craterocephalus honoriae

Atherinidae

Exquisite rainbowfish

Melanotaenia exquisita

Melanotaeniidae

Few-ray hardyhead

Craterocephalus pauciradiatus

Atherinidae

Flathead silverside

Hypoatherina valenciennei

Atherinidae

Flower of the wave

Iso rhothophilus

Isonidae

Flyspecked hardyhead

Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum

Atherinidae

Goldie River rainbowfish

Melanotaenia goldiei

Melanotaeniidae

Guatemala silverside

Atherinella guatemalensis

Atherinopsidae

Hardhead silverside

Atherinomorus stipes

Atherinidae

Hawaiian silverside

Atherinomorus insularum

Atherinidae

Honey blue-eye

Pseudomugil mellis

Pseudomugilidae

Hubbs' silverside

Atherinella hubbsi

Atherinopsidae

Inconspicuous blue-eye

Pseudomugil inconspicuus

Pseudomugilidae

Inland hardyhead

Craterocephalus centralis

Atherinidae

Inland silverside

Menidia beryllina

Atherinopsidae

Irian Jaya rainbowfish

Melanotaenia irianjaya

Melanotaeniidae

Jack silverside

Atherinopsis californiensis

Atherinopsidae

Japanese silverside

Hypoatherina tsurugae

Atherinidae

Katrana

Rheocles alaotrensis

Bedotiidae

Kiener's silverside

Teramulus kieneri

Atherinidae

Lake Eacham rainbowfish

Melanotaenia eachamensis

Melanotaeniidae

Lake Eyre hardyhead

Craterocephalus eyresii

Atherinidae

Lake Tebera rainbowfish

Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi

Melanotaeniidae

Longfin silverside

Atherinella eriarcha

Atherinopsidae

Lopez silverside

Atherina lopeziana

Atherinidae

Magela hardyhead

Craterocephalus marianae

Atherinidae

Manus silverside

Kalyptatherina helodes

Telmatherinidae

Marjorie's hardyhead

Craterocephalus marjoriae

Atherinidae

Maule silverside

Odontesthes mauleanum

Atherinopsidae

Mediterranean sand smelt

Atherina hepsetus

Atherinidae

Miller's silverside

Atherinella milleri

Atherinopsidae

Munro's hardyhead

Craterocephalus munroi

Atherinidae

New Guinea blue-eye

Pseudomugil novaeguineae

Pseudomugilidae

North-west hardyhead

Craterocephalus capreoli

Atherinidae

Ornate rainbowfish

Rhadinocentrus ornatus

Melanotaeniidae

Ovalau silverside

Hypoatherina ovalaua

Atherinidae

Paska's blue-eye

Pseudomugil paskai

Pseudomugilidae

Pellucid blue-eye

Pseudomugil pellucidus

Pseudomugilidae

Peruvian silverside

Basilichthys semotilus

Atherinopsidae

Philippine priapiumfish

Gulaphallus mirabilis

Phallostethidae

Pikehead hardyhead

Kestratherina esox

Atherinidae

Piquava silverside

Odontesthes piquava

Atherinopsidae

Priapiumfish

Neostethus lankesteri

Phallostethidae

Pygmy rainbowfish

Melanotaenia pygmaea

Melanotaeniidae

Red rainbowfish

Glossolepis incisus

Melanotaeniidae

Red-Tailed Silverside

Bedotia geayi

Bedotiidae

Rough silverside

Membras gilberti

Atherinopsidae

Rough silverside

Membras martinica

Atherinopsidae

Samoan hardyhead

Hypoatherina temminckii

Atherinidae

Sand smelt

Atherina presbyter

Atherinidae

Sawvomer silverside

Atherinella serrivomer

Atherinopsidae

Sentani rainbowfish

Chilatherina sentaniensis

Melanotaeniidae

Shortfin silverside

Chirostoma humboldtianum

Atherinopsidae

Silver silverside

Atherinella argentea

Atherinopsidae

Silverside

Odontesthes brevianalis

Atherinopsidae

Slender rainbowfish

Melanotaenia gracilis

Melanotaeniidae

Smallmouth hardyhead

Atherinosoma microstoma

Atherinidae

Smallscale silverside

Odontesthes incisa

Atherinopsidae

Smallscale silverside

Basilichthys microlepidotus

Atherinopsidae

Smith's priapiumfish

Phenacostethus smithi

Phallostethidae

Starks' silverside

Atherinella starksi

Atherinopsidae

Surf sardine

Iso flosmaris

Isonidae

Swamp blue-eye

Pseudomugil paludicola

Pseudomugilidae

Tami River rainbowfish

Glossolepis pseudoincisus

Melanotaeniidae

Tawny hardyhead

Craterocephalus fulvus

Atherinidae

Thickscale silverside

Atherinella pachylepis

Atherinopsidae

Threadfin rainbowfish

Iriatherina werneri

Melanotaeniidae

Tidewater silverside

Menidia peninsulae

Atherinopsidae

Topsmelt

Atherinops affinis

Atherinopsidae

Tropical silverside

Atherinomorus duodecimalis

Atherinidae

Tropical silverside

Hypoatherina tropicalis

Atherinidae

Utchee rainbowfish

Melanotaenia utcheensis

Melanotaeniidae

Van Heurn's rainbowfish

Melanotaenia vanheurni

Melanotaeniidae

Vogelkop blue-eye

Pseudomugil reticulatus

Pseudomugilidae

Western hardyhead

Leptatherina wallacei

Atherinidae

Woodward's silverside

Hypoatherina woodwardi

Atherinidae

Zona

Bedotia madagascariensis

Bedotiidae