R
eef Silversides, Hypoatherina harringtonensis, are always a great site and make for very interesting 
photographs. These massive schools of fish are seen throughout the Cayman islands. They form into large defensive schools to confuse predators and the “swarms” seem move as one as they react to changes in pressure underwater caused by the movement of predators or other threats.
They can be approached easily while scuba diving if you take your time and you can even swim through these schools and have the fish literally enveloping you. There have been large schools around Orange Canyon, where I took these shots, the Oro Verde wreck, and many other locations. You can find schools of these fish in most dive sites from time to time and be sure to take time to observe their behavior. They prefer shallow protected bays and lagoons and protected areas around the reef usually staying at depths from 0 to 10 meters.
They are greenish white on back, silvery with bluish reflections below; moderate silver stripe covering 3 rows of scales down from top plus edges of two adjacent rows bordered above by an iridescent blue-green line, from gill opening to tail, at front silver stripe is nearly as wide as pectoral fin base; tips of tail dusky. There are a variety of these fish and it is almost impossible to tell them apart in the water.
