Odontesthes bonariensis

Odontesthes bonariensis is a species of Neotropical silverside, an euryhaline fish native to fresh, brackish and salt water in south-central and southeastern South America, but also introduced elsewhere. It is often known by the common name Argentinian silverside or pejerrey (the latter is of Spanish origin, meaning "king fish," the Latin piscis given rise to "pez," fish, and "peje," a kind of fish, and "rey," king), but it is not the only species of silverside in Argentina and pejerrey is also used for many other silversides. It is a commercially important species and the target of major fisheries. O. bonariensis resembles the other species in the genus Odontesthes, but it is larger, generally reaching up to in total length, and exceptionally as much as long and in weight (reports of even larger are unconfirmed and questionable). Odontesthes bonariensis is native to subtropical and temperate South America east of the Andes where it ranges from around the Río Negro basin in Argentina, north throughout most of the northern half of that country, to the Río de la Plata Basin in south Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. In coastal Atlantic parts of South America it ranges at least from the southernmost Buenos Aires Province in Argentina to Rio Grande do Sul State (Lagoa dos Patos) in Brazil. It has been introduced to many places outside its native range, including Argentina (in parts of the country where not native), Bolivia, Brazil (in parts of the country where not native), Chile, Peru, Morocco (where probably not established), Italy (only Lake Nemi), Israel (failed to become established) and Japan. O. bonariensis is highly adaptable and can live in a wide range of habitats. This includes both stagnant and flowing waters, such as rivers, streams, channels, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries and coastal lagoons. In much of its range it is particularly common in Pampas lakes that generally are less than deep. The species is able to live in fresh, brackish and salt water (salinity up to 3.5%), but not in hypersaline conditions.