The Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia) is a very common schooling fish that is found year round in coastal shoreline waters.  Most fish schools consist of similar sized individuals.  Silversides commonly swim among the submerged grasses in shallow brackish water.  During the winter they move into deeper water to avoid the cold temperatures of the shallow water.  Silversides spawn in grassy shallows during the late spring and early summer.  The eggs stick to the marsh grass stems or algae. The life cycle of a silverside is short, they usually survive a year or less.  Silversides are omnivores and eat a varied diet of zooplankton, copepods, amphipods, worms, insects and algae.  They are important prey for larger predatory fish such as striped bass and bluefish and are also eaten by birds such as terns and cormorants.