Home/Species/ Inland Silverside

Menidia beryllina

(Cope, 1867)

Inland Silverside

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

UnknownThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105319

Element CodeAFCND02010

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassActinopterygii

OrderAtheriniformes

FamilyAtherinopsidae

GenusMenidia

Concept Reference

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 Publication 20. 183 pp.

Taxonomic Comments

Only recently firmly distinguished from M. peninsulae.

The nominal freshwater species, M. audens, was synonymized with coastal M. beryllina by Chernoff et al. (1981). Chromosomal differences between the inland and coastal populations was discovered, but the available evidence was not regarded as sufficient to justify resurrecting M. audens as a valid species (Korth and Fitzsimons 1987). Suttkus and Thompson (2002) discussed the rediscovery of M. audens in the Pearl River (Mississippi and Louisiana) and provided evidence that M. audens is a valid species.

See Echelle et al. (1989) for information on the role of M. beryllina in the origin of unisexuals of the M. clarkhubbsi complex.

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2024-10-30

Change Date1996-09-20

Edition Date2024-10-30

Edition AuthorsGundy, R. L. (2024)

Threat ImpactUnknown

Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences81 to >300

Rank Reasons

This species is widespread and common in coastal waters and rivers of eastern North America. The population appears to be stable.

Range Extent Comments

This species is found in coastal waters and rivers that connect to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts, United States to Veracruz, México (Page and Burr 2011). Using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2024), range extent is estimated to be 3.97 million km².

Some inland populations in California, Missouri, New Mexico, and Oklahoma were likely introduced (Lee et al. 1980, Sublette et al. 1990).

Occurrences Comments

This species is represented by a large number of subpopulations and locations.

Threat Impact Comments

Localized threats may exist, but on a range-wide scale no major threats are known to be impacting this species. Climate change may have impacts on this species and its habitat (Gobler et al. 2018). This species is known to bioaccumulate pollutants, although the overall impacts on the population are not known (Michaelsen et al. 2015, Derby et al. 2021).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Coastal and freshwater habitats. Moderate to highly alkaline and euryhaline waters. Moves far up streams and rivers, especially in southern part of range. In fresh water, usually swims at surface of clear quiet water over sand and gravel bottom. Introduced in ponds, lakes, and reservoirs outside native range. See Weinstein (1986) for habitat suitability index model. Spawns over beds of aquatic vegetation or among emergent vegetation (Moyle 1976). Survival and growth of larvae was greater at salinity of 15 ppt than at 5 or 30 ppt (see Sublette et al. 1990). Some landlocked populations (e.g., where introduced in reservoirs) reproduce in fresh water (Page and Burr 2011).

Ecology

Schools may number in the tens of thousands.

Reproduction

Spawning protracted; multiple peaks suggested. Most spawn and die their 2nd summer of life; eggs hatch in 4-30 days at 13-34 C. Female may produce eggs throughout breeding season. Adult life span about 16 months (few survive 2nd winter). In northwestern Florida, most reproduction occurred February-April; some young-of-year matured in July-September and spawned (Middaugh and Hemmer 1992).

Other Nations (2)

CanadaNNR

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
Kansas	SNR	Yes
Alabama	S3	Yes
New Mexico	SNA	No
Missouri	S3	Yes
Connecticut	SNR	Yes
Georgia	SU	Yes
Louisiana	S5	Yes
Mississippi	S5	Yes
Tennessee	S4	Yes
Pennsylvania	S4	Yes
Rhode Island	SNR	Yes
Florida	SNR	Yes
Oklahoma	SNR	Yes
Indiana	SNA	No
California	SNA	No
North Carolina	S5	Yes
New Jersey	S4	Yes
Maryland	SNR	Yes
Arkansas	S4	Yes
Massachusetts	S4	Yes
Delaware	S4	Yes
Texas	S5	Yes
District of Columbia	S4	Yes
New York	S2	Yes
Virginia	SNR	Yes
South Carolina	S4	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
9 - Pollution	Pervasive - large	Unknown	High (continuing)
9.1 - Domestic & urban waste water	Pervasive - large	Unknown	High (continuing)
9.2 - Industrial & military effluents	Pervasive - large	Unknown	High (continuing)
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluents	Pervasive - large	Unknown	High (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weather	Pervasive (71-100%)	Unknown	Moderate - low
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alteration	Pervasive (71-100%)	Unknown	Moderate - low

Roadless Areas (1)

Florida (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Alexander Springs Creek	Ocala National Forest	2,954

References (25)

Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
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.
Derby, A. P., N. W. Fuller, K. E. Huff Hartz, A. Segarra , R. E. Connon, S. M. Brander, and M. J. Lydy. 2021. Trophic transfer, bioaccumulation and transcriptomic effects of permethrin in inland silversides, Menidia beryllina, under future climate scenarios. Environmental Pollution 275: 116545. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116545
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., T.E. Dowling, C.C. Moritz and W.M. Brown. 1989. Mitochondrial-DNA diversity and the origin of the Menidia clarkhubbsi complex of unisexual fishes (Atherinidae). Evolution 43:984-993.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
Gobler, C. J., L. R. Merlo, B. K. Morrell, and A. W. Griffith. 2018. Temperature, acidification, and food supply interact to negatively affect the growth and survival of the forage fish, Menidia beryllina (inland silverside), and Cyprinodon variegatus (sheepshead minnow). Frontiers in Marine Science 5: 86. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00086
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. 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.
Michaelsen, S., J. Schaefer, and M. S. Peterson. 2015. Fluctuating asymmetry in Menidia beryllina before and after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. PLoS ONE 10(2): e0118742. doi: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0118742
Middaugh, D. P., and M. J. Hemmer. 1992. Reproductive ecology of the inland silverside, Menidia beryllina, (Pisces: Atherinidae) from Blackwater Bay, Florida. Copeia 1992(1): 53-61. doi: 10.2307/1446535
Middaugh, D.P., P.G Hester, M.V. Meisch and P.M. Stark. 1985. Preliminary data on use of the inland silverside, Menidia beryllina, to control mosquito larvae. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 1(4):435-441.
Moyle, P. B. 1976a. Inland fishes of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, California. 405 pp.
Moyle, P. B. 2002. Inland fishes of California. Revised and expanded. University of California Press, Berkeley. xv + 502 pp.
Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
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.
Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 2011. Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. xix + 663 pp.
Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, R. L. Mayden, and J. S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Seventh edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda, Maryland.
Page, L. M., K. E. Bemis, T. E. Dowling, H.S. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, K. E. Hartel, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, M. A. Neigbors, J. J. Schmitter-Soto, and H. J. Walker, Jr. 2023. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighth edition. American Fisheries Society (AFS), Special Publication 37, Bethesda, Maryland, 439 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 Publication 20. 183 pp.
Sublette, J. E., M. D Hatch, and M. Sublette. 1990. The fishes of New Mexico. University New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 393 pp.
Suttkus, R. D., and B. A. Thompson. 2002. The rediscovery of the Mississippi silverside, Menidia audens, in the Pearl River drainage in Mississippi and Louisiana. Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings (44):6-10.
Weinstein, M. P. 1986. Habitat suitability index models: inland silverside. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 82(10.120). 25 pp.
Whitworth, W. R., P. R. Berrien, and W. T. Keller. 1968. Freshwater fishes of Connecticut. State Geological and Natural History Survey Bulletin No.101. 134 pp.

Menidia beryllina

Habitat

Ecology

Reproduction

—