Big-scale sand smelt
| Atherina boyeri Risso, 1810 | ||||
| Family: | Atherinidae (Silversides) |
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| Order: | Atheriniformes | |||
| Class: | Teleostei | |||
| English name: | Big-scale sand smelt | |||
| Distribution: | Eastern Atlantic: Portugal and Spain to Nouadhibou in Mauritania and Madeira, and throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Isolated populations on coasts of England and the Netherlands (Ref. 5980). Previously, two subspecies were recognized in Russian waters: Atherina boyeri pontica (Eichwald, 1838) from the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov and Atherina boyeri caspia (Eichwald, 1838) from the Caspian Sea (Ref. 26334). | |||
| Adult biology: | A very euryhaline species, where adults are frequently found in brackish waters and more sporadically in freshwater (Ref. 3788), preferring still or slow flowing waters in freshwater (Ref. 59043). They are found in lower parts of rivers, estuaries, coastal lakes and sea; pelagic in lakes (Ref. 59043). Adults occur in great schools. They are carnivorous, feeding on small crustaceans, worms, mollusks (Ref. 5980) and fish larvae (Ref. 35388) in lakes and estuaries, and on benthos in rivers (Ref. 59043). Can usually live 1 to 2 years, rarely up to 4 years. Some populations undergo spawning migrations into estuaries. Mature individuals are fractional spawners, larger individuals spawn for a longer period. Eggs are demersal, with long hairy appendages attaching them to the substrate consisting of filamentous algae, often at depths of 2 to 6 m. Larvae are pelagic often forming schools close to the shores (Ref. 59043). | |||
| Diagnosis: | . See also LARVAE table. | |||
| Climate Zone: | subtropical; 53°N - 20°N | |||
| Main Ref: | Bertolini, F., U. D'Ancona, E. Padoa Montalenti, S. Ranzi, L. Sanzo, A. Sparta, E. Tortonese and M. Vialli. 1956. (Ref. 65) | |||
| More information: | Allele frequencies | Collaborators | Common names | Countries | Eggs | FAO areas | Genetics | Introductions | Larvae | Maturity | Pictures | References | Reproduction | Spawning | Fecundity | Synonyms | | |||
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| Checked by: Giovanardi, Otello |
Modified by: Papasissi, Christine |
Entered by: Papasissi, Christine |
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