The Atheriniformes, also known as the silversides, are an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the Old World silversides and several less-familiar families, including the unusual Phallostethidae. The order includes at least 354 species. They are found worldwide in tropical and temperate marine and freshwater environments.
The Guanay cormorant or Guanay shag is a member of the cormorant family found on the Pacific coast of Peru and northern Chile. After breeding it spreads south to southern parts of Chile and north to Ecuador, and has also been recorded as far north as Panama and Colombia – probably a result of mass dispersal due to food shortage in El Niño years. Its major habitats include shallow seawater and rocky shores.
The Neotropical silversides are a family, Atherinopsidae, of fishes in the order Atheriniformes. About 112 species in 13 genera are distributed throughout the tropical and temperate waters of the New World, including both marine and freshwater habitats. The familiar grunions and Atlantic silverside belong to this family.
The Old World silversides are a family, Atherinidae, of fish in the order Atheriniformes. They occur worldwide in tropical and temperate waters. About two-thirds of the species are marine, and the remainder live in fresh water. The 74 species are in 13 genera. The genus Craterocephalus is the most diverse with 25 species. Four genera are monotypic.
The Titicaca grebe, also known as the Titicaca flightless grebe or short-winged grebe, is a grebe found on the altiplano of Peru and Bolivia. As its name implies, its main population occurs on Lake Titicaca. Lake Uru Uru and Poopó, the Rio Desaguadero, and small lakes that connect to Lake Titicaca in wet years, serve as "spillovers" territory. In the past, the population was larger and several of these lakes – such as Lakes Umayo and Arapa – apparently had and may still have permanent large colonies. It is sometimes placed in Podiceps or a monotypic genus Centropelma. Its local name is zampullín del Titicaca.
The Titicaca orestias, Lake Titicaca orestias, or Lake Titicaca flat-headed fish, also known by its native name amanto, is a likely extinct freshwater killifish from Lake Titicaca in South America. It belongs in the pupfish genus Orestias, endemic to lakes, rivers and streams in the Andean highlands. With a total length of up to 27 cm (10.6 in), it was the largest member in that genus. In the hope that an undiscovered population remains, it is listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN. Despite its common name, it is not the only Orestias from Lake Titicaca.
The Peruvian tern is a species of tern in the family Laridae. Found in northern Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, its natural habitats are hot deserts, sandy shores, and coastal saline lagoons. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The big-scale sand smelt is a species of fish in the family Atherinidae. It is a euryhaline amphidromous fish, up to 20 cm in length.
The red-tailed silverside, or zona is a species of Madagascar rainbowfish endemic to the Mananjary River drainage in Madagascar. It is threatened by habitat loss and introduced species. It has often been confused with the related B. madagascariensis, which is common in the aquarium trade. In addition to meristics, the two can be separated by the exact colour pattern on their tail fin and the distinct red spot on the lower jaw of breeding male B. geayi. B. geayi was described in 1907 by Jacques Pellegrin from a type collected by the pharmacist and natural history collector Martin François Geay (1859-1910), who Pellegrin honoured with its specific name.
Chirostoma bartoni, the Alberca silverside, was a species of neotropical silverside endemic to the Lerma River basin of Mexico. Typical adult specimens were approximately 7.1 cm in length.
Chirostoma is a genus of Neotropical silversides from the Lerma River basin in Mexico, including lakes Chapala and Pátzcuaro. Fish in the genus collectively go by the common name charal/charales in their native range. They are heavily fished, but several of the species have become threatened due to habitat loss, introduced species and overfishing. Three species are considered extinct: C. bartoni, C. charari (1957) and C. compressum (1900). Four others have not been recorded recently and may also be extinct.
Poblana ferdebueni, the Chignahuapan silverside is a species of neotropical silverside endemic to Mexico. This species was described by Aurelio Solórzano Preciado and Irma López-Guerrero in 1965 from a type locality of Laguna de Almoloya, Chignahuapan Lake, Puebla State, Mexico and was fiven the specific name derdebueni to honour the Spanish ichthyologist Fernando de Buen y Lozano (1895-1962) who had originally proposed the genus Poblana.
Teramulus kieneri, the Keiner's silverside or vily, is a species of silverside endemic to Madagascar where it is found in rivers around on the eastern coast. This species was described by J.L.B. Smith in 1965 with the type locality given as the coastal swamps near Tamatave. It has since been found in other areas of the island, including the basin of the Nosivolo River and in the Bemarivo River. Smith gave this species the specific name keineri to honour the French fisheries scientist, André Kiener, who assisted in the collection of the type in 1961, although it was initially reported as Atherinomorus duodecimalis. It is the type species of the genus Teramulus.
Teramulus waterloti is a species of silverside from the [[subfamily Atherinomorinae which is endemic to Madagascar. This species occurs in rivers, creeks, and streams in north western Madagascar from the Mananjeba River south to the Anjingo River. The IUCN classify this species as Endangered and it is threatened by deforestation which degrades its habitat through sedimentation and by the introduction of invasive fish species such as Channa maculata. This fish was described in 1932 as the subspecies waterloti of Atherina duodecimalis by Jacques Pellegrin who named it after Georges Waterlot (1877-1939), a collector of specimens in Africa and Madagascar for Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, including the type of this species, which he collected from Antikotazo Creek, District d'Ambilobé, Diégo Suarez Province.
Odontesthes is a genus of Neotropical silversides. They are found in fresh, brackish and salt water habitats in the southern half of South America, as well as the offshore Juan Fernández and Falkland Islands. Additionally, O. bonariensis has been introduced to other continents.
The surf silverside is a species of silverside from the order Atheriniformes found along the Pacific coast of Argentina and Chile. It is the only known member of its family and molecular evidence points to this species being sister to the Neotropical silversides of the family Atherinopsidae, with the Notocheiridae and the Atherinopsidae making up the suborder Atherinopsoidei. This species is characterised by the absence of a first dorsal fin. This species was described by Howard W. Clark in 1937 from types collected in the harbour of Valparaíso, Chile, and the specific name honours the American ichthyologist and authority on silversides, Carl Leavitt Hubbs (1894-1979).
Membras martinica, the rough silverside, is a species of Neotropical silverside from the family Atherinopsidae, it is the type species of the genus Membras.
Odontesthes bonariensis is a species of Neotropical silverside, an euryhaline fish native to fresh, brackish and salt water in south-central and southeastern South America, but also introduced elsewhere. It is often known by the common name Argentinian silverside or pejerrey, but it is not the only species of silverside in Argentina and pejerrey is also used for many other silversides. It is a commercially important species and the target of major fisheries.
Atherinopsoidei is a suborder of the order Atheriniformes comprising two families, both of which are restricted to the Americas.
Atherion elymus, the bearded silverside or pickleface hardyhead, is a species of silverside from the family Atherionidae. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean.
