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]

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

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. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2014). Species of Plagioscion in FishBase. August 2014 version.
  2. Casatti, L. (2005). "Revision of the South American freshwater genus Plagioscion (Teleostei, Perciformes, Sciaenidae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1080: 39–64. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1080.1.4.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  3. 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; 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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