Alberca silverside

The Alberca silverside, <em>Chirostoma bartoni</em>, is a small freshwater atherinopsid in the family Atherinopsidae — the New World silversides — endemic to the Mexican highlands. Adults reach a maximum recorded length of approximately 7.1 cm, making this a diminutive species well suited to the shallow, warm lakes and lagoons of the Mesa Central region of Mexico. Members of the genus <em>Chirostoma</em> are schooling midwater fishes that feed primarily on zooplankton, insect larvae, and small invertebrates near the water surface. The Alberca silverside and its relatives are an ecologically important forage fish group in Mexican highland lake systems, and several species in the genus are of cultural and dietary significance to local communities. Details of habitat and range for this species remain limited in the ichthyological literature beyond its known Mexican distribution, and depth distribution data are unavailable. Conservation status is not formally evaluated at the international level.