Download NYNHP Conservation Guide for Inland Silverside

Inland Silverside
Inland Silverside
Photo credits: Jim Negus
Scientific Name
Menidia beryllina
(Cope, 1867)
Family Name
Atherinopsidae
New World Silversides
Did you know?
Inland silversides are commonly used in
toxicological studies that assess the sensitivity of
these fish to various water pollutants such as
chlorine and water-soluble extracts of crude oil
(Weinstein 1986).
Summary
Protection Not listed in New York State, not listed federally.
This level of state protection means: The species is not listed or protected by New York
State.
Rarity G5, S2S3
A global rarity rank of G5 means: Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite
rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
A state rarity rank of S2S3 means: Imperiled or Vulnerable in New York - Very vulnerable
to disappearing from New York, or vulnerable to becoming imperiled in New York, due to
rarity or other factors; typically 6 to 80 populations or locations in New York, few
individuals, restricted range, few remaining acres (or miles of stream), and/or recent and
widespread declines. More information is needed to assign a single conservation status.
Conservation Status in New York
The rank is based on a limited distribution in the state. Additional information on the
population and threats is needed to better inform the state rank.
Short-term Trends
The short-term trends are unknown (New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation 2006).
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Inland Silverside (Menidia beryllina)
Long-term Trends
The long-term trends are unknown (New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation 2006).
Conservation and Management
Threats
The impacts of potential threats are not known (New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation 2006).
Conservation Strategies and Management Practices
A management plan that addresses the needs for mitigating impacts to estuarine forage
fish should be developed (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
2006).
Research Needs
Field studies to determine the habitat requirements of all life stages should be initiated.
Field and laboratory studies should also examine the effects of mosquito control and
predation on all life stages (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
2006).
Habitat
Inland silversides can be found in the shallows of tidal salt marshes and estuaries, showing a
stronger preference for low salinity waters. They can also be found in freshwater ponds, lakes, and
reservoirs and have been introduced into some locations (Smith 1985, Weinstein 1986). Spawning
habitat includes shallow fresh or brackish waters with an ample amount of dead leaves, tree roots,
algal mats, or aquatic plants for the eggs to adhere to (Weinstein 1986).
Associated Ecological Communities
Tidal River
The aquatic community of a river under the influence of daily lunar tides. We restrict this
community to the continuously flooded portions of the river where plants do not grow out of
the water. A deepwater zone has depths averaging more than 2 m (6 ft) at low tide.
Salinities at any one place in the river may fluctuate as the tides flow in and out.
Associated Species
Atlantic Silverside (Menidia menidia)
Identification Comments
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Inland Silverside (Menidia beryllina)
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Identifying Characteristics
The inland silverside is a small fish, approximately 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) in length
(Carpenter 2002). The upper sides are yellow to olive in color and the underside is pale to
translucent yellow. A thin metallic-silver stripe runs along the length of the body. The dark
lateral line is composed of a series of pits in the lateral scales. The posterior end of the
dorsal fin is directly above the posterior end of the anal fin. The tail is slightly forked. The
eggs are generally smaller than 0.04 inches (1 mm) and have filaments that help them to
adhere to aquatic vegetation and to each other (Smith 1985, Weinstein 1986).
Characteristics Most Useful for Identification
The pit-like lateral line composition and the posterior margin of the dorsal fin being directly
above the posterior margin of the anal fin are the most useful characteristics in
distinguishing the inland silverside from the Atlantic silverside (Smith 1985).
Behavior
The inland silverside is a short-lived schooling fish, rarely living past its first breeding
season. In the northern range, inland silversides generally have one spawning season per
year, but in the southern range, they can have two spawning seasons per year (Middaugh
and Hemmer 1992). Females produce eggs (200-1000 depending on size) and spawn daily
throughout the spawning season (Hubbs 1982). The majority spawn and die their second
summer of life and few survive to their second winter. After the eggs are laid, they hatch in
4-30 days, depending on water temperature (13-34 degrees Celsius) (Middaugh and
Hemmer 1992).
Diet
Inland silversides feed during the day on various copepods, mysids, amphipods, isopods,
and insects. They generally take their prey in the water column, but the presence of sand in
the stomachs of some specimens indicates that bottom feeding does occur (Weinstein
1986).
The Best Time to See
In New York, inland silversides can be found in tidal salt marshes along Long Island Sound
and in the lower Hudson River throughout the year. The reproductive season starts in April
and continues through July (Middaugh and Hemmer 1992).
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Inland Silverside (Menidia beryllina)
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Active
Reproducing
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The time of year you would expect to find Inland Silverside in New York.
Similar Species
Atlantic Silverside(Menidia menidia): In the Atlantic silverside, the posterior margin of
the dorsal fin is in front of the posterior margin of the anal fin, the lateral line is composed
of tubes passing through the lateral scales, and the lateral scale count is higher than in the
inland silverside (Smith 1985).
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Ray-finned Fishes (Actinopterygii)
Order
Silversides (Atheriniformes)
Family
Atherinopsidae (New World Silversides)
Additional Resources
Links
A Global Information System on Fishes
http://fishbase.org
NatureServe Explorer
http://natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=MENIDIA+BERYLLINA
Google Images
http://images.google.com/images?q=MENIDIA+BERYLLINA
References
Carpenter, K.E., editor. 2002. The living marine resources of the western central Atlantic. Volume 2:
Bony fishes part 1 (Acipenseridae to Grammatidae). American Society of Ichthyologists and
Herpetologists and the Food and Drug Administration.
Chernoff, B., J. V. Conner, and C. F. Bryan. 1981. Systematics of the Menidia beryllina complex
(Pisces: Atherinidae) from the Gulf of Mexico and its tributaries. Copeia 1981:319-336.
Echelle, A. A., and A. F. Echelle. 1997. Patterns of abundance and distribution among members of a
unisexual-bisexual complex of fishes (Atherinidae: Menidia). Copeia 1997:249-259.
Echelle, A. A., et al. 1989. Mitochondrial-DNA diversity and the origin of the MENIDIA
CLARKHUBBSI complex of unisexual fishes (Atherinidae). Evolution 43:984-993.
Greeley, J.R. 1939. The freshwater fishes of Long Island and Staten Island with annotated list. pp
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Inland Silverside (Menidia beryllina)
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29-63. In: New York Conservation Department: A biological survey of the fresh waters of Long
Island. Suppl. to 28th ann. report, 1938. Albany, NY.
Hubbs, C. 1982. Life history dynamics of Menidia beryllina from Lake Texoma. The American
Midland Naturalist. 107(1):1-12.
Keys, Jr.,J.; Carpenter, C.; Hooks, S.; Koenig, F.; McNab, W.H.; Russell, W.;Smith, M.L. 1995.
Ecological units of the eastern United States - first approximation (cd-rom), Atlanta, GA: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GIS coverage in ARCINFO format, selected imagery,
and map unit tables.
Korth, J. W., and J. M. Fitzsimons. 1987. Karyology of three species of eastern North American
atherinid fishes. Copeia 1987:505-509.
Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980 et
seq. Atlas of North American Freshwater Fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural
History, Raleigh, North Carolina. i-x + 854 pp.
Metcalfe, C. D. 1989. Tests for predicting carcinogenicity in fish. Reviews in Aquatic Sciences 1
(1):111-129.
Middaugh, D. P. and M. J. Hemmer. 1992. Reproductive ecology of the inland silverside, Menidia
beryllina, (Pices: Atherinidae) from Blackwater Bay, Florida. Copeia. 1:53-61.
Middaugh, D. P., et al. 1985. Preliminary data on use of the inland silverside, MENIDIA
BERYLINNA, to control mosquito larvae. J. Am. Mosquito Control Assoc. 1(4):435-441.
Moyle, P. B. 1976. Inland fishes of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
405 pp.
NatureServe. 2005. NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, Virginia. USA
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine
Resources. 2006. New York State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. Albany, NY:
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico.
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991.
Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries
Society, Special Publishing 20. 183 pp.
Smith, C.L. 1985. The Inland Fishes of New York State. New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation. Albany, NY. 522pp.
Sublette, J. E., M. D Hatch, and M. Sublette. 1990. The fishes of New Mexico. University New
Mexico Press, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 393 pp.
Weinstein, M. P. 1986. Habitat suitability index models: inland silverside. U. S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Biol.
Rep. 82(10.120). 25 pp.
Whitworth, W. R., P. R. Berrien, and W. T. Keller. 1968. Freshwater fishes of Connecticut. State
Geol. and Nat. Hist. Surv. Bull. 101. 134 pp.
New York Natural Heritage Program
625 Broadway, 5th Floor,
Albany, NY 12233-4757
Phone: (518) 402-8935
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Inland Silverside (Menidia beryllina)
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[email protected]
This project is made possible with funding from:
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River
Estuary Program
- Division of Lands & Forests, Department of Environmental Conservation
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Inland Silverside (Menidia beryllina)
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- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Information for this guide was last updated on Oct 30, 2015
This guide was authored by
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Inland Silverside (Menidia beryllina)
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