{{Short description|Genus of fishes}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Atherion elymus 1.jpg | image_caption = Atherion elymus | parent_authority = Schultz, 1948 | taxon = Atherion | authority = D. S. Jordan & Starks, 1901 | type_species = ''Atherion elymus'' | type_species_authority = D.S. Jordan & Starks, 1901 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = 3 ''See text'' }}
'''''Atherion''''' is a small genus of silversides, known as the '''pricklenose silversides'''. It is the only genus in the family Atherionidae.<ref name = Nelson5>{{cite book |title=Fishes of the World |edition=5th |author1=J. S. Nelson |author2=T. C. Grande |author3=M. V. H. Wilson |year=2016 |pages=360 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-1-118-34233-6 |url=https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ |access-date=2019-07-13 |archive-date=2019-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408194051/https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other authorities classify this as a monogeneric subfamily, Atherioninae, of the Atherinidae, while others include it within the subfamily Atherinomorinae.<ref name = VDLEF>{{cite journal | author1 = Richard van der Laan | author2 = William N. Eschmeyer | author3 = Ronald Fricke | name-list-style = amp |year=2014 | title = Family-group names of Recent fishes | url = https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3882.1.1/10480 | journal = Zootaxa | volume = 3882 | issue =2 | pages = 001–230}}</ref> They have an Indo-Pacific distribution.<ref name = Nelson5/>
==Characteristics== The species within ''Atherion'' are characterised by having rough, sharkskin-like denticles around the mouth and in other places on the head. The origin of the first dorsal fin is to the rear of the pelvic fin tip. The first dorsal fin has 3–6 spines while the second dorsal fin has a single spine and 8–13 soft rays. The anal fin also has a single spine and has 13–17 soft rays. Along the midlateral line they have a count of between 40 and 44 scales and they are small fish which grow to a maximum length of {{convert|5.5|cm|in}}.<ref name = Nelson5/>
==Species== The currently recognized species in this genus are:<ref>{{FishBase genus | genus = Atherion| month = June | year = 2012}}</ref> * ''Atherion africanum'' <small>J. L. B. Smith, 1965</small> (pricklenose silverside) * ''Atherion elymus'' <small>D. S. Jordan & Starks, 1901</small> (bearded silverside) * ''Atherion maccullochi'' <small>D. S. Jordan & C. L. Hubbs, 1919</small> (McCulloch's hardyhead)
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q138168}}
Category:Atherion Category:Atheriniformes Category:Taxa named by David Starr Jordan Category:Taxa named by Edwin Chapin Starks