Hardyhead silverside
Atherinomorus lacunosus
- Usual depth0–17 m
- Water temperature17–30 °C
- Best monthsMay
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) Ahmed Abdul Rahman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
About this species
The hardyhead silverside, also known as the broad-banded hardyhead, broad-banded silverside, Capricorn hardyhead, pitted hardyhead, robust hardyhead, robust silverside, slender hardyhead and wide-banded hardyhead silverside, is a silverside of the family Atherinidae. It occurs in the Indo-Pacific near the surface as well as in the Mediterranean, having invaded as a Lessepsian migrant through the Suez Canal.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Hardyhead silverside”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 39 records
- February: 24 records
- March: 20 records
- April: 72 records
- May: 660 records
- June: 18 records
- July: 49 records
- August: 17 records
- September: 27 records
- October: 21 records
- November: 45 records
- December: 21 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 0–17 m · Deepest record: 73.2 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 17–30 °C
Photos
(c) Annika Lindqvist, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Annika Lindqvist, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Hardyhead silverside, Robust silverside, hardyhead silverside, robust silverside
Names in 4 more languages
- Spanish
- Pejerrey cabezón
- French
- Athérine têtu, Athérine têtue, Croissant queue jaune, Prêtre, Saumonée hirondelle
- Japanese
- Yakushimaiwashi, ヤクシマイワシ
- Simplified Chinese
- 南洋美銀漢魚, 南洋銀漢魚, 硬鱗, 藍美銀漢魚, 豆殼仔, 鱙仔
Other scientific names: Allanetta forskali, Atherina affinis, Atherina forskali, Atherina forskalli, Atherina lacunosa, Atherina morrisi, Atherina punctata, Atherina puntata, Atherinomorous lacunosus, Atherinomorus capricornensis, Atherinomorus lacunosa, Atherion morrisi, Hapsetia pinguis, Hepsetia morrisi, Hepsetia pinguis, Pranesus capricornensis, Pranesus forskalii, Pranesus lacunosus, Pranesus maculatus, Pranesus morrisi, Pranesus pinguis
Similar species
- Common Hardyhead
Atherinomorus vaigiensis
Red Sea hardyhead silversideAtherinomorus forskalii
- Eendracht land silverside
Atherinomorus endrachtensis
- Hawaiian Islands silverside
Atherinomorus insularum
- Narrow-banded Hardyhead Silverside
Atherinomorus pinguis
- Balabac Island Silverside
Atherinomorus regina
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 1,717 open-data records from 1801 to 2023.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
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