[citation needed] They primarily feed on zooplankton, moving in enormous schools capable of depleting populations of the small arthropods and crustaceans they favor.

The silversides congregate in the shallows, generally over sand or gravel bottoms with overhead cover if possible, but then move out to open water in search of additional food, which increases predation risk.

[citation needed] The exact native range of the inland silverside is not known; they are widespread along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida, and along the Gulf of Mexico.

In the Mississippi River they can be found in backwaters and reservoirs as far north as Missouri and Illinois, hundreds of miles inland.

Moyle suggests that this fish may have contributed to the demise of the Clear Lake splittail, although the effect of the silversides' introduction on California ecosystems not been much studied.

[4] Along with their susceptibility to chemical pollutants, inland silverside embryos exhibit negative effects when exposed to pathogenic funguses, such as Beaveria bassiana.

These adverse reaction to Beaveria bassiana further indicate the sensitivity of inland silversides to foreign pollutants and microorganisms.