Sciaenidae
Encyclopedia
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
commonly called drums, croakers, or hardheads for the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds they make. The family includes the weakfish
Weakfish
The weakfish, Cynoscion regalis, is a marine fish of the drum family Sciaenidae.The head and back of this fish are dark brown in color with a greenish tinge. The sides have a faint silvery hue with dusky specks, and the belly is white. The origin of its name is based on the weakness of the mouth...
, and consists of about 275 species in about 70 genera; it belongs to the order Perciformes
Perciformes
The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, is one of the largest orders of vertebrates, containing about 40% of all bony fish. Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the class of ray-finned fish and comprise over 7,000 species found in almost all aquatic environments...
.
Sciaenids have a long dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
reaching nearly to the tail, and a notch between the rays and spines of the dorsal, although the two parts are actually separate. Drums are somberly colored, usually in shades of brown, with a lateral line that extends to the tip of the caudal fin. The anal fin usually has two spines while the dorsal fins are deeply notched or separate. Most species have a rounded or pointed caudal fin. The mouth is set low and is usually inferior.
They are found worldwide, in both fresh and saltwater, and are typically benthic
Benthic zone
The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean or a lake, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. Organisms living in this zone are called benthos. They generally live in close relationship with the substrate bottom; many such...
carnivores, feeding on invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s and smaller fish. They are small to medium-sized bottom dwelling fishes that live primarily in estuaries, bays, and muddy river banks. Most of these fishes avoid clear waters such as coral reefs and oceanic islands with a few notable exceptions (i.e., Reef Croaker, High-hat, and Spotted Drum). They live in warm-temperate and tropical waters and are best represented in major rivers in S.E. Asia, Plymouth UK, N.E. South America, Gulf of Mexico, and Gulf of California.
They are excellent food and sport fish and are commonly caught by surf and pier fishers.
The sounds are produced by the beating of abdominal muscles against the swim bladder. In the Mississippi Valley region of the U.S., there is a widespread but inaccurate belief that the drumfish makes the sounds by rattling two loose bones inside its cranium. There are, in fact, no such bones.
Genera and selected species
- Aplodinotus: Freshwater drumFreshwater Drum-Introduction:The freshwater drum, Aplodinotus grunniens, is a fish endemic to North and Central America. It is the only species in the genus Aplodinotus. The Freshwater drum is a member of the family Sciaenidae, and is the only member of the species that inhabits freshwater for its entire life...
- ArgyrosomusArgyrosomusArgyrosomus is a genus of fish in the drum family, Sciaenidae. They are large fish, with the largest, A. regius growing up to 230 cm in length...
: MeagreArgyrosomus regiusArgyrosomus regius is a fish of the Sciaenidae family. It has a similar form to a European seabass, with a pearly-silver coloration and a yellow-coloured mouth. Length can go from 40–50 cm up to 2 m long, with weights up to 55 kilograms.A...
, Mulloway - Aspericorvina
- Atractoscion: White seabassWhite seabassWhite seabass or white weakfish, Atractoscion nobilis, is a species of croaker occurring from Magdalena Bay, Baja California, to Juneau, Alaska. They usually travel in schools over deep rocky bottoms and in and out of kelp beds....
- Atrobucca
- Austronibea
- Bahaba
- Bairdiella
- Boesemania
- Cheilotrema
- Chrysochir
- Cilus
- Collichthys
- Corvula
- Ctenosciaena
- CynoscionCynoscionCynoscion is a genus of fish in the drum family, Sciaenidae.- Species :The genus consists of 24 species:* Cynoscion acoupa * Cynoscion albus * Cynoscion analis...
: WeakfishWeakfishThe weakfish, Cynoscion regalis, is a marine fish of the drum family Sciaenidae.The head and back of this fish are dark brown in color with a greenish tinge. The sides have a faint silvery hue with dusky specks, and the belly is white. The origin of its name is based on the weakness of the mouth...
, Acoupa weakfishAcoupa weakfishThe acoupa weakfish, Cynoscion acoupa, is a croaker of the family Sciaenidae, found in the western Atlantic from Panama to Argentina, at depths down to 20 m. Its length is up to 1.1 m....
, Spotted seatroutSpotted SeatroutThe spotted seatrout also known as speckled trout,or spotted weakfish is a common estuary fish found in the southern United States... - Daysciaena
- Dendrophysa
- Elattarchus
- EquetusEquetusEquetus is a genus of drumfishes found in the middle western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean. -Behavior:Members of this genus are frequently observed during the day under ledges or near the opening of small caves, at depths between 1 and 30 meters, where they swim in repetitive patterns...
- Genyonemus: White croakerWhite croakerWhite croaker is a species of croaker occurring in the Eastern Pacific. White croakers have been taken from Magdalena Bay, Baja California, to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, but are not abundant north of San Francisco. White croakers swim in loose schools at or near the bottom of sandy areas...
- Isopisthus
- Johnius
- Kathala
- LarimichthysLarimichthysLarimichthys is a genus of ray-finned saltwater fishes commonly known as Yellow croakers. Pseudosciaena is a commonly used but invalid synonym for Larimichthys. The genus contains three species, all found in the western Pacific....
- Larimus
- Leiostomus: Spot croakerSpot croakerThe spot croaker or spot is a small saltwater fish. The species inhabits estuary and coastal waters along the eastern coast of United States, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean....
- Lonchurus
- Macrodon
- Macrospinosa
- Megalonibea
- Menticirrhus: KingcroakerKingcroakerThe kingcroakers are a genus Menticirrhus of the family Sciaenidae.-Species:Menticirrhus americanus - Southern Kingfish: This species grows to 20 inches in length. Seven to eight dark bands mark the sides which shade from dusky above to almost white on the belly...
, California corbinaCalifornia corbinaThe California corbina is a saltwater fish and member of the croaker family. California corbina occur from the Gulf of California, Mexico, to Point Conception, California. It is a bottom fish found along sandy beaches and in shallow bays. This species travels in small groups along the surf zone in... - MicropogoniasMicropogoniasMicropogonias is a genus of fish in the family Sciaenidae ....
- Miichthys
- Miracorvina
- Nebris
- Nibea
- Odontoscion
- Ophioscion
- Otolithes
- Otolithoides
- Pachypops
- Pachyurus
- Panna
- Paralonchurus
- Paranibea
- Pareques
- Pennahia
- Pentheroscion
- PlagioscionPlagioscionPlagioscion is a genus of hardheads, ray-finned fish in the family Sciaenidae.-Selected species:* Plagioscion auratus - Black curbinata* Plagioscion montei* Plagioscion squamosissimus - South American silver croaker, freshwater corvina...
- Pogonias: Black DrumBlack drumThe Black Drum is a saltwater fish similar to its cousin, the Red Drum. It is the only species in the genus Pogonias. Though most specimens are generally found in the 5-30 lb range, the black drum is well known as the largest of all the drum family with some specimens reaching excesses of...
- Protonibea
- Protosciaena
- Pseudosciaena
- PseudotolithusPseudotolithusPseduotolithus is a genus of croaker or bar, ray-finned fish in the family Sciaenidae.-Selected species:* Pseduotolithus brachygnathus - croaker* Pseduotolithus elongatus - Bobo croaker* Pseduotolithus senegalensis Cassava croaker...
- Pteroscion
- Pterotolithus
- Roncador: Spotfin croakerSpotfin croakerSpotfin croaker is a species of croaker occurring from Mazatlán, Mexico, to Point Conception, California, including the Gulf of California. It is the only species in the genus Roncador. In California, they are most commonly found south of Los Angeles Harbor...
- Sciaena umbra: Brown meagre
- Sciaenops: Red drumRed DrumThe Red Drum , also known as Channel Bass, Redfish, Spottail Bass or simply Reds, is a game fish that is found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Northern Mexico. It is the only species in the genus Sciaenops...
- Seriphus: QueenfishQueenfishQueenfish are a species of croaker occurring from Uncle Sam Bank, Baja California, to Yaquina Bay, Oregon; they are the only species in the genus Seriphus. They are common during summer in shallow water around pier pilings on sandy bottoms. They are found at depths up to 180 feet; however, occur...
- Sonorolux
- Stellifer
- TotoabaTotoabaThe totoaba or totuava is a marine fish of the drum family that is indigenous to the northern half of the Gulf of California in Mexico...
- Umbrina: Yellowfin croakerYellowfin croakerYellowfin croaker is a species of croaker occurring from the Gulf of California, Mexico, to Point Conception, California. They frequent bays, channels, harbors and other nearshore waters over sandy bottoms...