Endermite vs Silverfish: How different are the two Minecraft mobs?

Two of the game’s most elusive creatures, Minecraft’s endermite and silverfish mobs, are often overlooked. Introduced in Minecraft's Java Edition 1.8, endermites are small and hostile mobs. They’re closely tied to ender pearls and are a threat that many players may never encounter.

They have shared an in-game model with silverfish in the past. Silverfish were introduced in Java Edition 1.0.0. They are also small and hostile. With the ability to infest many stone and stone related blocks, silverfish often take players by surprise.

---

Minecraft Endermite vs Silverfish: Similarities and Differences

An image of several Minecraft silverfish in a stronghold. (Image via Minecraft)

Similarities: Classification, Hostility, Health

Classification: Endermites and silverfish are both arthropods. As such, both mobs will take extra damage and receive a Slowness IV effect if attacked with weapons equipped with the Bane of Arthropods enchantment.

Hostility: With their penchant for attacking any players who come near them, both endermites and silverfish are hostile mobs. However, players aren’t the only ones who should avoid them, as Endermites and Silverfish will attack certain other mobs.

Health: Endermites and silverfish both have eight health points.

---

Differences: Attack patterns, Appearance, Generation

Attack patterns: While endermites and silverfish will attack any Minecraft player in their area, their attack patterns differ from other mobs. In Bedrock Edition, endermites will attack iron golems and endermen. (Though the hostility seems to be mutual since endermen will also attack any endermite within 64 blocks of them.) Silverfish will attack players, snow golems, and iron golems. They can call other nearby silverfish to their area and will attack their target in a group. Silverfish can also see through walls and find their path towards their targets.

Generation/Spawning: Endermites will occasionally spawn when the player throws an ender pearl. If spawned, this mob will appear wherever the ender pearl lands. There’s a 5% chance that an endermite will spawn with each player-thrown ender pearl that lands. Endermites will despawn after two minutes. Silverfish spawn when an infested block is broken. These infested blocks generate in strongholds, igloo basements, false portal rooms in woodland mansions, and underground in Minecraft’s mountains biome. Silverfish spawners can generate in a stronghold’s end portal room.

Appearance: Silverfish are more insect-like. These creepy crawlies resemble a worm or larva and have a similar hairy appearance to their real-world namesake. Endermites are dark purple. They are smaller than silverfish and appear to radiate portal particles.