Sciaenidae

Sea Raven ( Sciaena umbra )

The family of croakers ( Sciaenidae ), also shadow fish and drummer called, consists of 70 genera and 270 species. The name " drummers " they received, because the males produce drum-like sounds during courtship. Croakers live in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean, near the coast, often in mangrove and seagrass beds, coral reefs in some, many penetrate into brackish water, about 28 species even live in fresh water, especially in South America. Croakers are missing in the central Pacific. Most croakers live near the surface, very few below 200 m. Almost all are important, delicious food fish.

Features

Croakers are nine centimeters to 2.30 meters long. Your body is somewhat flattened usually elongated, high backs and sides. A characteristic feature is the towering, short first dorsal fin. It is separated from the second by a deep pit, they are rarely completely apart. The first dorsal fin is supported by six to 13 spines, the second by a sting ray and 0-35 soft rays. The anal fin usually has one or two soft spines, the second of which can be quite large, and 6 to 13 soft rays.

The males give their drum sounds, by leaving with special muscles, the swim bladder to vibrate. In addition, they encourage it to blind bags for transmitting natural frequencies.

The otoliths, with the help of the croakers hear the species-specific sounds, depending on the type and age of about 30 mm, can be large. Your head channels are usually well developed (often with special pores) - added often ( one to many) mandibular barbels. The scales are of medium size (2 per segment) to very small ( 5), namely ctenoid scales on the head and chest but often (smaller) cycloid scales. The snout is rounded, the mouth terminal or inferior.

The ventral Pharyngealia are fused and bear squeezing molars. In contrast, the Kieferbezahnung may be weak ( vomer and Palatinzähne always missing ). The Operkularknochen is split dorsocaudal; about sitting in a bone- based skin flap. The swinging extending lateral line extends to the never symmetrically bilobed, but often behind S-shaped limited caudal fin. The fish usually swim amiiform, that is, the propulsion generated not the tail, but the ( soft ) dorsal fin and pectoral fins.

Benthic croakers spend the day mostly hidden and only go at night in search of food ( large eyes, touch important).

Genera and species

• Aplodinotus Rafinesque, 1819. Freshwater drummer ( Aplodinotus grunniens )

• Argyrosomus amoyensis ( Bleeker, 1863)
• Argyrosomus beccus Sasaki, 1994
• Argyrosomus coronus Griffiths & Heemstra, 1995
• Argyrosomus heinii ( Steindachner, 1902)
• Argyrosomus hololepidotus ( Lacepede, 1801)
• Argyrosomus inodorus Griffiths & Heemstra, 1995
• Argyrosomus japonicus ( Temminck & Schlegel, 1843)
• Meagre ( Argyrosomus regius ) ( Asso, 1801)
• Argyrosomus thorpei Smith, 1977

• African croaker ( Atractoscion aequidens ) ( Cuvier, 1830)
• White sea bass ( Atractoscion nobilis)

• Bahaba chaptis (Hamilton, 1822)
• Bahaba polykladiskos ( Bleeker, 1852)
• Bahaba taipingensis ( Herre, 1932)

• Boese Mania microlepis

• Cheilotrema saturnum

• Chrysochir aureus

• Elattarchus Archidium

• Banded Knight fish ( Equetus lanceolatus ) (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Pits Knight fish ( Equetus punctatus ) ( Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

• White croaker ( Genyonemus lineatus )

• Eyespot Umber ( Leiostomus xanthurus )

• Banded Umber ( Paralonchurus brasiliensis Steindachner, 1875)

• Petilipinnis grunniens

• Black drummer ( Pogonias cromis )

• Spotfin croaker ( Roncador stearnsii )

• Red drummer ( Sciaenops ocellatus )

• Queens - Umber ( Seriphus politus )

• Sonorolux Fluminis

• Totoaba ( Totoaba macdonaldi )