Silversides Fishing

California Grunion

Brook Silverside

Silversides are members of the Atherinidae family and occur throughout the world. Some are valued as food fish, and a few are caught for keeping in aquariums. They are important forage for larger predatory species, especially alongshore, in bays, and in estuaries.

All silversides lack a lateral line and have small, almost useless teeth. Their pelvic fins are located well behind the pectoral fins, and the small, spiny dorsal is well separated from the soft dorsal. The body is typically elongated. Some silversides live in freshwater; others are marine, found near shore. They are often called shiners but are more commonly referred to as “smelt,” although they are not related to the true osmerid smelt (see).

One of the most prominent silversides is the California grunion (Leuresthes tenuis; see: grunion, California), which grows to 71/2 inches in length and is famous for moonlight spawning runs and remarkable beach spawning. A similar fish is the gulf grunion (L. sardina), which is restricted to the Gulf of California.

Also prominent and frequently caught along Pacific piers is the larger (to 171/2 inches) jacksmelt (Atherinopsis californiensis; see: jacksmelt), which have small, unforked teeth in bands. This characteristic differentiates the jacksmelt from the California grunion and also from the topsmelt (Atherinops affinis), which grows to 12 inches but generally is in the same range as the jacksmelt. The topsmelt is most easily distinguished from the jacksmelt by its forked teeth set in a single row rather than in bands. These species constitute a sizable portion of the Pacific coast “smelt” catch.

Along the Atlantic coast, the tidewater silverside (Menidia beryllina), which grows to only 3 inches long, ranges from Massachusetts southward to the Gulf of Mexico. Although it is predominantly a saltwater species, it is also found in brackish water and freshwater. Other names frequently used for this species are whitebait and spearing. Several similar species occur in the same general range. These include the Atlantic silverside (M. menidia) and the Mississippi silverside (M. audens), a freshwater species.

The brook silverside (Labidesthes sicculus), which is 2 to 4 inches long, is also found only in freshwater, from the St. Lawrence River southward throughout the southeastern United States. Brook silverside schools are often observed skipping along the surface. This behavior has earned them the nickname skipjacks. Olive green above and silvery below, this species has a prominent silver stripe down each side. The snout is projected into a short beak, and the first dorsal fin is so small that it may go unnoticed. The brook silverside is sometimes used for bait but is not hardy.