Plagioscion
| Plagioscion | |
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| Genus: | Plagioscion T. N. Gill, 1861
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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
- ^ a b c d Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Plagioscion". FishBase. August 2014 version.
- ^ a b c d "Revision of the South American freshwater genus Plagioscion (Teleostei, Perciformes, Sciaenidae)". Zootaxa. 1080: 39–64. 2005.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|authors=ignored (help) - ^ a b c d e 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.
- ^ 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.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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