Plagioscion

Plagioscion
Plagioscion auratus (above),
Plagioscion squamosissimus (below)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Sciaenidae
Genus: Plagioscion

Plagioscion is a genus of hardheads, ray-finned fish in the family Sciaenidae. They are found in tropical and subtropical South America where they inhabit fresh and brackish waters.[1][2] Some species (notably P. squamosissimus and P. surinamensis) are important food fish and support major fisheries.[3]

Depending on the exact species, they reach up to about 30–80 cm (1.0–2.6 ft) in length.[1] In general, the various species are similar and are not easily separated by meristics or colour.[2]

Plagioscion sometimes occur in schools.[3] They are predators and the adults are essentially piscivorous.[1][3] The largest in the genus, P. squamosissimus, mainly feeds on fish smaller than 15 cm (6 in), but may take ones up to about 60% of the length of the Plagioscion itself.[3]

Although the family Sciaenidae primarily is marine, there are four genera with freshwater species in South America. In addition to Plagioscion, this is Pachypops, Pachyurus and Petilipinnis.[2][3]

Species

FishBase currently recognizes 7 species in this genus.[1] The validity of P. casattii and P. surinamensis are questionable (both possibly junior synonyms of P. squamosissimus).[2] In contrast, genetic analysis indicates that two currently unrecognized, cryptic species exist.[4]

  • Plagioscion auratus Castelnau, 1855 (Black curbinata)
  • Plagioscion casattii Aguilera & de Aguilera, 2001
  • Plagioscion montei Soares & Casatti, 2000
  • Plagioscion pauciradiatus Steindachner, 1917
  • Plagioscion squamosissimus Heckel, 1840 (South American silver croaker)
  • Plagioscion surinamensis Bleeker, 1873 (Pacora)
  • Plagioscion ternetzi Boulenger, 1895 (Freshwater croaker)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2014). Species of Plagioscion in FishBase. August 2014 version.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Casatti, L. (2005). "Revision of the South American freshwater genus Plagioscion (Teleostei, Perciformes, Sciaenidae)". Zootaxa. 1080: 39–64.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Goulding, M (1980). The Fishes and the Forest: Explorations in Amazonian Natural History. University of California Press. pp. 179–181. ISBN 0-520-04131-3.
  4. ↑ Cooke, G.M.; N.L. Chao; and L.B. Beheregaray (2012). "Marine incursions, cryptic species and ecological diversification in Amazonia: the biogeographic history of the croaker genus Plagioscion (Sciaenidae)". Journal of Biogeography. 39 (4): 724–738. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2011.02635.x.


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