Argyrosomus regius | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Acanthuriformes |
Family: | Sciaenidae |
Genus: | Argyrosomus |
Species: | A. regius |
Binomial name | |
Argyrosomus regius | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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Argyrosomus regius, also known as the meagre, croaker, jewfish, shade-fish, sowa, kir, corvina, salmon-bass or stone bass, is a species of fish of the family Sciaenidae. This large fish has a pearly-silver to brownish coloration and a yellow-coloured mouth. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Mediterranean and Black Seas. [2]
Argyrosomus regius was first formally described in 1801 as Perca regia by the Spanish diplomat, naturalist, lawyer and historian Ignacio Jordán Claudio de Asso y del Rio with the type locality given as La Rochelle in Charente-Maritime on the Bay of Biscay coast of France. [3] The specific name regius means “royal”. This was not explained by Asso but may be a Latinisation of the Catalan name for this species, reix. [4]
Argyrosomus regius has a relatively large head with quite small eyes, the large mouth is at the terminal position and it has an elongated body. The lateral line is easily seen and extends all the way to the caudal fin. The rear dorsal fin is much longer than first one which has nine rays. The first ray of the anal fin is short and spiny while the second is very thin. The swim bladder contains several branched appendages which are vibrated to make a grunting sound which can be heard from up to 30m away and this grunting is produced by the males during the spawning season. The body colour is pearly-silver, with bronze traits dorsally. The fin bases are reddish brown and mouth cavity yellow-gold or salmon pink. The scales are large and every fourth scale is set at a different angle from the rest. [5] [6] It can reach up to 2.3 m (7.5 ft) in total length and 103 kg (227 lb) in weight. [2]
Argyrosomus regius is found in the eastern Atlantic from Norway to DR Congo, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. It has colonised the Red Sea by migrating through the Suez Canal, an anti-Lessepsian migration. [1] [2] It is rare in the relatively cold, far north of its range, including off the British Isles (three records) and Scandinavia. [6]
Argyrosomus regius is a demersal, oceanodromous fish which is found in inshore waters and on the continental shelf, it can occur close to the bottom as well as in surface and mid-waters. The adults prey on grey mullet and clupeids such as sardines [6] which are actively pursued in open water. The adults gather in inshore waters to spawn during spring and summer. The juveniles and subadults prefer estuaries and coastal lagoons, and the health of recruitment into the adult population is possibly determined by the availability of these habitats. These fish are migratory, at all ages, migrating along shore or between offshore and inshore waters in response to temperature changes. A. regius feeds on fishes and swimming crustaceans and mostly occurs over sand, close to rocks, at depths of 1–200 m (3.3–656.2 ft), but commonly found at 15–100 m (49–328 ft). The three main spawning sites in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea are the Nile delta, Lévrier Bay, and the Gironde estuary and with large numbers of adults congregate at these sites between May and July. [1] Large schools of A. regius occur around wrecked ships that were deliberately sunk to create new habitat for a number of commercially caught species of fish. Most of their growth happens during the summer months and feeding activity is significantly reduced when the water temperature drops below 13–15 °C (55–59 °F). [5]
The newly hatched juveniles leave the estuaries where they spend the first few months at the end of summer and move into coastal waters with depths between 20 and 40 m (66–131 ft) where they spend the winter months. In the following spring they return to their estuarine feeding areas from the middle of May. Water temperature is the most important factor that determines the trophic migration and reproduction of meagre. An adult female A. regius measuring 1.2 m (3.9 ft) in length produces about 800,000 eggs and spawning occurs when the water temperature is 17–22 °C (63–72 °F). The juveniles eat small demersal fish and crustaceans switching to pelagic fish and cephalopods once they grow to 30–40 cm in length. [5]
Argyrosomus regius is fished commercially using trawls, long lines, and hand lines. It is also a sport fishing quarry species. [1] Specimens of 1.8 m in length and over 50 kg in weight which were landed in Portugal in 2002 fetched over €200. [7] The main meagre fisheries are currently in Mauritania, Morocco, and Egypt and these account for over 80% of the annual world catch of around 10,000 tonnes. The European fisheries are comparatively small and are on the Atlantic coasts of Spain, Portugal and France with annual catches of 800 t in France, 400 t in Portugal and 150 t in Spain. [7]
The farming of Argyrosomus regius is still rather experimental and involves intensive production, in land-based tanks and sea cages. There are few facilities established mainly in southern France where they are in the Camargue, Cannes, and Corsica, in Huelva, Spain, and at La Spezia and Laguna di Orbetello in Italy. [5] It is also produced in large quantities in Turkey.[ citation needed ]
Spotted seatrout, also known as speckled trout, is a common estuarine fish found in the southern United States along coasts of Gulf of Mexico and the coastal Atlantic Ocean from Maryland to Florida. While most of these fish are caught on shallow, grassy flats, spotted seatrout reside in virtually any inshore waters, from the surf of outside islands to far up coastal rivers, where they often come for shelter during cold weather. Contrary to its name, the spotted seatrout is not a member of the trout family (Salmonidae), but of the drum family (Sciaenidae). It is popular for commercial and especially recreational fishing in coastal waters of the southeastern United States. Adults reach 19-37 inches in length and 3-17 pounds in weight.
The crevalle jack, also known as the common jack, black-tailed trevally, couvalli jack, black cavalli, jack crevale, or yellow cavalli is a common species of large marine fish classified within the jack family, Carangidae. The crevalle jack is distributed across the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Nova Scotia, Canada to Uruguay in the western Atlantic and Portugal to Angola in the eastern Atlantic, including the Mediterranean Sea. It is distinguishable from similar species by its deep body, fin colouration and a host of more detailed anatomical features, including fin ray and lateral line scale counts. It is one of the largest fish in the genus Caranx, growing to a maximum known length of 124 cm and a weight of 32 kg, although is rare at lengths greater than 60 cm. The crevalle jack inhabits both inshore and offshore waters to depths of around 350 m, predominantly over reefs, bays, lagoons and occasionally estuaries. Young fish dispersed north by currents in the eastern Atlantic are known to migrate back to more tropical waters before the onset of winter; however, if the fish fail to migrate, mass mortalities occur as the temperature falls below the species' tolerance.
The alfonsino, also known as the alfonsin, longfinned beryx, red bream, or imperador, is a species of deepwater berycid fish of the order Beryciformes. It can be found in temperate and subtropical ocean waters nearly worldwide, though it is uncommon. It is typically associated with deep-sea corals, and schools are known to form over seamounts. Adults are demersal and search for prey along the ocean floor, primarily fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans. Like other members of its family, it is remarkably long-lived, with individuals reaching ages of up to 69 years, and possibly longer. It can reach sizes of up to 1 m (3.3 ft) in length and 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) in weight and is targeted by commercial fisheries. Its low reproductive rate and the time it takes for juveniles to mature make it vulnerable to expanding deep-sea fisheries, but it is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to its extensive range.
The gag grouper, also known as velvet rockfish, the gag, or charcoal belly, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It comes from warmer parts of the West Atlantic, including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. It is a drab, mottled-gray fish lacking the distinguishing features of most other groupers. Its pattern of markings resemble the box-shaped spots of the black grouper. It lacks the streamer-points on the tail fin that scamp and yellowmouth grouper have and lacks yellow coloration around the mouth.
The yellowbelly flounder is a flatfish of the genus Rhombosolea, found around New Zealand. A different species from the genus Rhombosolea is found in Australia and also goes by the name yellow-belly flounder. The Māori people have commonly fished for R. leporina, and many other species of flatfish, throughout New Zealand's coastal waters for hundreds of years. The Māori name for this species is pātiki tōtara.
The European seabass, also known as the branzino, European bass, sea bass, common bass, white bass, capemouth, white salmon, sea perch, white mullet, sea dace or loup de mer, is a primarily ocean-going fish native to the waters off Europe's western and southern and Africa's northern coasts, though it can also be found in shallow coastal waters and river mouths during the summer months and late autumn. It is one of only six species in its family, Moronidae, collectively called the temperate basses.
Argyrosomus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums. The fish in this genus are large and are commonly targeted as game fish.
Cynoscion acoupa, the acoupa weakfish, blacktail basher or grey snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This fish is found in the western Atlantic.
The totoaba or totuava is a species of marine fish, a very large member of the drum family Sciaenidae that is endemic to the Gulf of California in Mexico. It is the only species in the genus Totoaba. Formerly abundant and subject to an intensive fishery, the totoaba has become rare, and is listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora under Appendix I. It is also listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as vulnerable, by NatureServe as critically imperiled and under the U.S. Endangered Species Act as endangered.
The mottled grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
Argyrosomus japonicus is a silvery to bronze-green colored fish, a member of the family Sciaenidae, which may grow up to 2 m in length. It is known as Dusky Kob, dusky salmon, salmon, Kob and kabeljou' in South Africa, Japanese meagre (FAO), mulloway or jewfish in the eastern states of Australia, mulloway in South Australia, kingfish or river kingfish in Western Australia,, Ô-nibe in Japan, and Sawwa Krokar Fish or Sawwa Machli in Pakistan. The name jewfish refers to its large otoliths, which are prized as "jewels" by some fishers.
The common dragonet is a species of dragonet which is widely distributed in the eastern North Atlantic where it is common near Europe from Norway and Iceland southwards. It is a demersal species that occurs over sand bottoms. It lives to a maximum age of around seven years. It is caught in bycatch by fisheries and is used in the aquarium trade.
The European pilchard is a species of ray-finned fish in the monotypic genus Sardina. The young of the species are among the many fish that are sometimes called sardines. This common species is found in the northeast Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea at depths of 10–100 m (33–328 ft). It reaches up to 27.5 cm (10.8 in) in length and mostly feeds on planktonic crustaceans. This schooling species is a batch spawner where each female lays 50,000–60,000 eggs.
Menticirrhus saxatilis, the northern kingfish or northern kingcroaker, is a species of marine fish in the family Sciaenidae. It lives in the shallow coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
Menticirrhus americanus, the southern kingfish, southern kingcroaker, king whiting, Carolina whiting, sea mullet, roundhead, or whiting, is a species of marine fish in the family Sciaenidae. It lives in shallow coastal waters on the western fringes of the Atlantic Ocean.
Cynoscion arenarius, sand seatrout, sand weakfish or white trout, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean. It is closely related to the common weakfish and may be a subspecies of C. regalis.
The brown meagre or corb is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This species found in, the eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea occurring in shallow waters and sandy bottoms. It is harvested for human consumption, especially in the Mediterranean.
Umbrina cirrosa, the shi drum, is a species of marine fish from the warmer waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. It is a commercially important species which is trawled for and farmed in aquaculture, as well as being a species pursued by anglers and spear fishermen for sport. The alternative vernacular names are gurbell, sea crow, bearded umbrine and corb.
Argyrosomus inodorus, the mild meagre or silver kob, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. The species is found off southern Africa where it is an important target species for hook and line fisheries.
Argyrosomus hololepidotus, also known as the Madagascar meagre or southern meagre, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. The species is endemic to Madagascar and the Indian Ocean.