backwaters silverside
Membras analis
Silverside of brackish lagoons and bays of Colombia and Venezuela, with small commercial fishing. It is often used as bait.
Also called: peixe-rei-lagunar, tinícalo lagunar, backwaters silverside
- maximum
- 12 cm
who is the backwaters silverside
Fish of the family Atherinopsidae, up to 12 cm and common size near 10 cm. It lives on muddy bottoms of lagoons and bays with brackish or hypersaline water, in Colombia and Venezuela. It feeds on zooplankton. It has small commercial fishing and is often used as bait. It belongs to a group of small silversides that occupy brackish coastal lagoons and bays. Like other silversides, it has an elongated body and a silver band on the flanks.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the backwaters silverside; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated, silvery fish, up to 12 cm, with the silver band on the flanks typical of silversides. Unlike beach silversides, it lives in brackish lagoons and bays on muddy bottoms. The lagoon habitat, more than its shape, is the main sign to separate it from Atherinella brasiliensis and Atherinella blackburni, which occur in the same region.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
It occurs in Colombia and Venezuela, in lagoons and bays with brackish or hypersaline water.
Habitat: Muddy bottom of lagoons and bays with brackish or hypersaline water.
rules for the backwaters silverside
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Harmless to anglers, with no dangerous spines or teeth.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00537, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Membras analis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Membras analisNames by country and language.
