A MONOGRAPHIC REVIEW OF THE FAMILY OF 

 ATHERINlDyE OR SILVERSIDES 



By David Starr Jordan and Carl Leavitt Hubbs 



The present paper contains a review of the genera, with an annotated 

 list of the known species, of the fishes of the family AtherinidtE, known 

 as "Silversides" in the eastern United States ; as "Hardyheads" in 

 Australia; as "Joel," "Sauclet," etc., in France; "Epseto" and "Lattarina" 

 in Italy, and throughout Latin America as "Fishes of the King" (Pesce-re, 

 Peixe-rei, Pexerey, Pescado del Rey, Peje-rei, Peje-rey, Pejerrey). The 

 majority of the species are tropical, though many are found within the 

 temperate zones. Some are marine living along sandy shores, some in 

 the sluggish estuaries of rivers, a few in mountain torrents, or lakes ; 

 seldom in muddy water. None are known from the depths of the ocean : 

 they are closely confined everywhere, both to the surface and to the shore- 

 line. The species are usually small, the tropical ones almost uniformly 

 so, attaining a length of from two to six inches ; in the temperate regions 

 of the New World some reach a length of between one and two feet. 



For more than seventy-five years after the tenth edition of the 

 Systenia Nature was published, Atherina remained the only named 

 genus of its group. The first generic divisions were made by Bonaparte 

 in 1837 ; by Swainson, in 1839 ; by Bleeker, in 1853 ; and by Girard, 

 in 1854. In his Catalogue, however, Giinther (1861) recognized but two 

 genera, Atherina and an unnatural assemblage for which he chose the 

 name Atherinichthys. Since that time, however, numerous genera 

 have been described. In the present review, we accept 38 genera and 

 two subgenera as valid. Similarly most of the species remained long 

 unknown. Linnaeus knew but one, Atherina hepsetus. Valenciennes 

 in 1835 listed 28 species ; Giinther in 1861 described but 38. Considering 

 only the North and Middle American species, Jordan and Evermann 

 in 1896 accepted 34. We now list 149 species and subspecies. 



List of the New Subfamilies, Genera and Species Described in 



This Paper 



Nannatherinin.^:, new subfamily 

 BedotiiNvE, new subfamily. 

 Rheoclin^, new subfamily. 

 Atherion maccullochi, new species. 



