Silverfish antenna. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) antenna covered in sensory hairs. The silverfish is a common household pest and a member of the primitive bristletails (Thysanura). It is a fast-moving insect covered in silvery scales. Adults are about one centimetre long, with a tapering body and three bristles at the rear. Their mating ritual involves a complex dance in which the male deposits packets of sperm on the ground which the female then picks up. Magnification: x600 when printed 10cm tall.