Topsmelt
Atherinops affinis
- On view
- Sandy Shore & Aviary
- Animal type
- Fishes
- Ecosystem
- Beaches & dunes
- Relatives
- Jacksmelt and grunion; Family: Atherinidae
- Diet
- Small crustaceans
- Range
- British Columbia to Gulf of California
- Size
- Up to 14.5 inches (36.8 cm)
Meet the topsmelt
Called "topsmelt" for their habit of swimming up near the surface, these fish school near shore. There's safety in numbers, but topsmelt still fall prey to other fishes, birds and people.
Conservation
Topsmelt are fished both commercially and by sport fishers.
Cool facts
- Topsmelt can live in salt ponds twice as salty as the sea.
Up next in beaches & dunes
Animal
Salt grass
Salt grass takes in salt and then sweats it out, leaving crystals on its blades for the rain to wash away.
Keep exploring
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Sand crab
No bigger than a thumb, a sand crab spends most of its time buried in shifting sand.