Silversides is a term used to refer to small, slender and silvery-colored fish species found in oceans and other large water bodies. Some synonyms for the word silversides include sand lance, needlefish, sand eel, and smelt. Sand lances are small fish that live on sandy bottoms and feed on plankton, while needlefish are slender carnivorous fish with long beaks. Sand eels are long and narrow fishes that burrow into sand and feed on small crustaceans, and smelt, commonly known as rainbow smelt, are small, silver-colored freshwater fish. These different species of fish share similar size, slender shape, and silver coloration, but have different habitats, feeding habits, and physical features.