The Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia), also known as spearing in the northeastern United States, is a small species of fish from the West Atlantic, ranging from the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada to northeastern Florida in the USA. It is one of the most common fish in the Chesapeake Bay and in the Barnegat Bay. It is a common subject of scientific research because of its sensitivity to environmental changes. The Atlantic silverside's predators are larger predatory fish – striped bass, blue fish, Atlantic mackerel – and many water birds, including egrets, terns, cormorants, and gulls.