Waccamaw silverside
📖 Overview
Adults usually occur in large schools near surface in open water, over dark sandy bottom . Well adapted to a life of heavy predation . Frequent skipping over the water surface is observed apparently in avoidance of predators .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 10 - 17; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 16 - 22; Vertebrae: 41 - 45. Silvery-white with black melanophores surrounding each scale on the dorsal two-thirds of the body. The dorsal half of the body is almost translucent.: fusiform / normal.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Waccamaw silverside is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
Based on otolith data, these species spawn after their first winter and that only a small segment of the population lives through the second winter .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Freshwater; pelagic; pH range: 6.6 - 6.8; non-migratory . Temperate; 35°N - 34°N North America: occurs only in the Lake Waccamaw in North Carolina, USA.
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Menidia Extensa is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Detailed nutritional data for Waccamaw silverside is currently being compiled from USDA FoodData Central.
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Waccamaw silverside has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🔬 Full Nutritional Profile
Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (generic fish average)
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🔍 Similar Species
👥 Community & Contribute
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