Key silverside
Species of fish / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Key silverside (Menidia conchorum) is a species of fish in the family Atherinopsidae: Menidiinae. It is endemic to the Florida Keys.
Key silverside | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Atheriniformes |
Family: | Atherinopsidae |
Genus: | Menidia |
Species: | M. conchorum |
Binomial name | |
Menidia conchorum Hildebrand & Ginsburg, 1927 | |
The American Fisheries Society (2023 in press) and Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (2023) verified Menidia conchorum Hildebrand & Ginsburg 1927 as a valid species under the Atherinopsidae family and Menidiinae subfamily, relying on opinions of practicing authorities in fish taxonomy and systematics such as Robins and Ray (1986), Gilbert (1992), Conover et al. (2000) and Musik et al. (2000). This species is exclusive to the Florida Keys, where it inhabits both brackish and marine environments. Morphological and genetic studies have established its genetic and morphological distinction from nearby related species (O'Leary et al. 2016).
Since the 1980s, Menidia conchorum populations have faced a significant decline, predominantly due to the rapid disappearance of their habitat in the salt-ponded waters of the lower Florida Keys and, more importantly, due to the effect of rising sea levels the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently cataloged the species as threatened. The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has also identified the species as a Species of Concern.