Sand Smelt

Atherina presbyter

The sand smelt (Atherina presbyter) is a small, slender fish reaching about 20 cm in length, found in shallow coastal waters of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. It has a translucent, elongated body with a bright silver lateral stripe running from behind the eye to the tail, and a green-grey back. Its scales are relatively large and easily shed. Sand smelts form dense schools in shallow water, from harbors and estuaries to rocky coastlines and sandy beaches, typically within a few meters of the surface. They feed on zooplankton, small crustaceans, and larval fish, and are in turn a crucial food source for larger predatory fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Their schooling behavior creates beautiful visual effects as hundreds of fish move in synchronized patterns, their silver flanks catching and reflecting sunlight in shimmering displays. Divers and snorkelers in European and Mediterranean waters routinely encounter these schools near pier pilings, rocky walls, and seagrass beds. They spawn in spring and summer, attaching eggs to algae and seagrass with adhesive filaments.