Topsmelt Silverside

The topsmelt silverside is a small, slim fish with a dorsally flattened body which can grow up to a total length of 37 centimetres (15 in). It has two separate dorsal fins on its bright green back which contrasts with the silver to pale flanks and silvery underside. This species has a pointed head with small eyes and a rather rounded, blunt snout and an oblique mouth situated terminally with extendible jaws each equipped with a row of tiny forked teeth. Their gills are a golden-yellow. It has no lateral line but it has 63-65 scales where the lateral line would have been present. The first dorsal fine has 5-9 spines, the second dorsal fin has a single spine and 8-14 rays while the anal fin also has a single spine but has 19-25 rays and the pectoral fin has 13 rays. The juveniles are translucent and have three rows of pigmented scales on their back, becoming scattered on the caudal peduncle.

The topsmelt silverside is found in the eastern Pacific along the western coast of North America from Vancouver Island in British Columbia south to Baja California and the Gulf of California.