Mediterranean sand smelt
Large silverside ( Atherina hepsetus )
The Great silverside ( Atherina hepsetus ) is a species of Old World silversides, which is prevalent in the Mediterranean, the adjacent eastern Atlantic and in parts of the Black Sea.
Features
The Great Ährenfisch has a long and lean body and reaches a body length of up to 20 centimeters. The relatively short, upper side flattened head has a diagonally upward -looking, permanent upper jaw. The body is silvery with green to bluish shimmer and has a gray- blue stripes on the sides.
The dorsal fin is divided. The first dorsal fin is well behind the end of the pectoral fins, the second dorsal fin opposite the anal fin. The two dorsal fins are a safe distinction from the similar and also silvery sardine ( Sardina pilchardus ), which has only one. The anal fin has 10 to 12 fin rays. In total there are 59 to 65 scales along the lateral line.
Dissemination
The Great Ährenfisch is in the Mediterranean, in the eastern Atlantic from the coast of the Iberian Peninsula to Morocco to meet the Canary Islands to Madeira as well as in parts of the Black Sea.
Way of life
Large silversides live as a school of fish near the coast in depths up to 10 meters, where they occasionally penetrate into the brackish water of lagoons and estuaries. They are mainly there to be found in the area of the surface and feed on plankton, especially copepods and ground-dwelling Kleinkrebschen.
The breeding season of the fish is in the western Mediterranean from December to May The eggs are released into open water and stick with fine filaments of algae, rocks or the ground.