Samoan silverside
Hypoatherina temminckii
Valid name (FishBase; confirmed in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and WoRMS, October 2026).
- English
- Samoan silverside
- Scientific
- Hypoatherina temminckii
- Dhivehi
- ތާވަޅަThaavalha
- Group
- Baitfish
- Maximum size
- Up to about 12 cm (total length) (FishBase); MRS 1997 gives common to 7 cm; max. 11 cm
- Depth and habitat
- Coral reefs and reef-associated habitats
- IUCN status
- LC · Least ConcernLeast Concern (LC), assessed 2023
Description
A small, almost transparent silverside with a blue-green tinge, a narrow silver stripe along the middle of the body and a silvery belly; the top of the head is often dark. It lives in large schools in shallow water near shore and around harbours during the day and moves out into open water after dark to feed on plankton. It is an important food for larger reef and pelagic fish.
In the Maldives
Occasionally used as live bait by Maldivian tuna fishermen. MRS (1997) records that fishermen also use the name keravalha loosely for small silversides in general.
Sources
- fishbase.se /summary/Hypoatherina-temminckii.html
- fao.org /4/AD471E/AD471E00.htm
- dv.wikipedia.org /wiki/ތާވަޅަ
Dhivehi name source: M.R.S. (1997) Fishes of the Maldives (FAO/BOBP MAG/21) gives 'Thaavalha' (Latin form). Thaana from the Dhivehi Wikipedia article 'ތާވަޅަ' (derived from the MRS 1997 Dhivehi edition); it matches the Latin form.