Many tuna fishermen oppose the use of Atherinomorus lacunosus and other silverside species as bait due to their tough scales and bony body, which the tunas find indigestible after an initial chumming response.
Details
§ 01
size
Max. 15 cm
color
Greenish-grey on back, the scale edges dusky. A silvery stripe on side, its upper edge with an iridescent blue line. Live fish translucent.
This species is commonly found in large schools near the shoreline during the day, and feeds mainly on planktonic eggs, crustaceans, and small fish at night.
distinctive characters
The upper jaw extends backward to a vertical line through the anterior border of the pupil, the dentary bone slopes upward and backward but never elevated posteriorly, and the anterior edge of the preopercle has a distinct notch above the angle, with a mid-lateral scale count of 39-44.