View source for Atherina

{{short description|Genus of fish}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Atherina hepsetus Stefano Guerrieri.jpg
| image_caption = ''Atherina hepsetus''
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|55.8|0|[[Eocene]] - [[Holocene]]}}
| taxon = Atherina
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758
| type_species = ''[[Atherina hepsetus]]''
| type_species_authority = Linnaeus, 1758<ref name = CofF>{{Cof record|genid=151|title=''Atherina''|access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref>
}}
'''''Atherina''''' is a [[genus]] of fish of [[Old World silverside|silverside]] [[family (biology)|family]] [[Atherinidae]], found in the temperate and tropic zones. Up to 15&nbsp;cm long, they are widespread in the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]], [[Black Sea]], [[Sea of Azov]] in [[lagoon]]s and [[estuary|estuaries]]. It comes to the low stream of the [[Dnieper]], [[Southern Bug]], [[Dniester]] and [[Danube River]]s.
[[File: Atherinidae - Atherina cavalloi.JPG|thumb|240px|right|Fossil of ''Atherina cavalloi'']]
==Species==
There are currently five recognized species in this genus:<ref name = FishBase>{{FishBase genus|genus=Atherina|month=April|year=2019}}></ref>
* ''[[Atherina boyeri]]'' <small>[[Antoine Risso|A. Risso]], 1810</small> (Big-scale sand smelt)
* ''[[Atherina breviceps]]'' <small>[[Achille Valenciennes|Valenciennes]], 1835</small> (Cape silverside)
* ''[[Atherina hepsetus]]'' <small>[[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758</small> (Mediterranean sand smelt)
* ''[[Atherina lopeziana]]'' <small>[[Martial Rossignol|Rossignol]] & [[Jacques Blache|Blache]], 1961</small>
* ''[[Atherina presbyter]]'' <small>[[Georges Cuvier|G. Cuvier]], 1829</small> (Sand smelt)
==Commercial importance==
Species of ''Atherina'' are objects in the traditional [[Italian cuisine|Italian]], [[Catalan people|Catalan]], [[Occitania|Occitan]], south-[[Ukrainians|Ukrainian]], [[Turkish people|Turkish]], and [[Greeks|Greek]] cuisine in fried form. The fish are lightly powdered with [[wheat flour]] before being dropped in hot [[olive oil]]. In [[Ukraine]] and [[Greece]], it is commercially important species.<ref>Kottelat, M. & Freyhof, J. (2007): Handbook of European freshwater fishes. Publications Kottelat, Cornol, Switzerland. 646 p.</ref> <!-- what? In Ukraine is fish in the north-western [[Black Sea]], [[Sea of Azov]], [[Sivash]]; in [[Greece]] it is fish in [[Lake Trichonis]].-->
==Fossil record==
These fishes lived from the [[Eocene]] age to [[Miocene]] (from 55.8 to 11.608 million years ago).{{clarification needed|date=August 2021|They also live now, so which ones does this refer to?}} Fossils have been found in [[Kazakhstan]] and in [[Italy]].<ref>[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=35752 Paleobiology Database]</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q133469}}
[[Category:Atherina| ]]
[[Category:Atherininae]]
[[Category:Ray-finned fish genera]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot]]
{{Atheriniformes-stub}}