Brown meagre

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Brown meagre
Corvinas negras (Sciaena umbra), Cabo de Palos, Espana, 2022-07-14, DD 52 (cropped).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Sciaenidae
Genus: Sciaena
Species:
S. umbra
Binomial name
Sciaena umbra
Synonyms [2]
List
  • Bairdiella umbra Linnaeus, 1758
  • Coracinus chalcisPallas, 1814
  • Corvina canariensisCuvier, 1830
  • Corvina nigramisapplied name
  • Corvina umbra Linnaeus, 1758
  • Johnius nigramisapplied name
  • Johnius umbra Linnaeus, 1758
  • Sciaena nigraBloch, 1792

The brown meagre or corb (Sciaena umbra) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This species found in the eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, occurring in shallow waters with sandy bottoms. It is harvested for human consumption, especially in the Mediterranean.

Contents

Taxonomy

The brown meagre was first formally described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae ; the type locality was given as Zadar, Croatia. [3] In 1972, the ICZN set this species to be the type species of the genus Sciaena . [4] The genus Sciaena is placed in the subfamily Sciaeninae by some authors [5] , but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognize subfamilies within the Sciaenidae (which it places in the order Acanthuriformes). [6]

Etymology

The specific name umbra is derived from Latin, meaning "shadow" or "phantom" [7] . The generic name is derived from the Greek word skiaina (or skion), which is used to refer to the red mullet. [2]

Distribution

The brown meagre is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the southern English Channel to Senegal and Cape Verde, including the Canary Islands. [8] Records from West Africa south of Senegal are questionable. It is also found in the Mediterranean Sea (where the IUCN classifies it as Vulnerable [9] ), the Black Sea [1] and the Sea of Azov. [8]

Habitat

Brown meagres from the Ligurian Sea Sciaenidae - Sciaena umbra.JPG
Brown meagres from the Ligurian Sea

The brown meagre is found at depths between 5–200 m (16–656 ft), [10] mainly over rocky and sandy substrates. Juveniles also enter estuarine environments. [1]

Description

The brown meagre is usually between 30–40 cm (12–16 in) in length but may grow to 60 cm (24 in). It has a flat belly and a strongly arched back, giving it an easily recognizable shape. The body is laterally compressed and the large, horizontal mouth reaches the level of the eye and contains villiform teeth. The background color of the body is grey, with flashes of gold and silver. The scales are ctenoid on the nape and the flanks while the head scales are cycloid. [8] [10] The anal and pelvic fins are black with the anterior margins being white. In contrast, the dorsal and the caudal fins are yellow with a black margin. The caudal fin is usually truncate. [8]

Biology and behavior

Sciaena umbra juvenile Sciaena umbra juvenile.png
Sciaena umbra juvenile

The brown meagre is a rather nocturnal fish, but it can occasionally be found during the day among beds of seagrass and on rocky bottoms in the vicinity of caves or large crevices (where it can shelter). This species is social and lives in small groups, [1] and it feeds off small fishes, crustaceans and algae. [9] The spawning period is from March to August in the Mediterranean; [8] during this time, this species forms large spawning aggregations near estauries. [9]

Like many other species in the family Sciaenidae, the brown meagre is capable of creating sound using some of the muscles under their well-developed swim bladder. This allows individuals to communicate with each other, since this species has a very good hearing ability. [11] The brown meagre can manage its buoyancy very well. [2]

Relationship with humans

The brown meagre is a commercial species throughout the Mediterranean basin and is fished mainly by spear fishing, trammel nets, and gill nets. It is especially heavily fished when it forms spawning aggregations near estuaries, [9] and overexploitation is a concern. [9]

In Turkey

The brown meagre is sold fresh or frozen across fish markets in Turkey. This is common in other countries around the Mediterranean as well; what is unique to Turkey is that local people sometimes use the otolith of the brown meagre (after having ground them to powder) to treat urinary tract infections. [2] [9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Chao, L. (2020). "Sciaena umbra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020 e.T198707A130230194. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T198707A130230194.en .
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Sciaena umbra". FishBase . December 2016 version.
  3. ↑ Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Sciaena". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  4. ↑ International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1972). "Opinion 988 Sciaena Linnaeus, 1758 (Pisces): Designation of a Type-Species under the Plenary Powers". Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 29: 123–124.
  5. ↑ Kunio Sasaki (1989). "Phylogeny of the family Sciaenidae, with notes on its Zoogeography (Teleostei, Perciformes)" (PDF). Memoirs of the Faculty of Fishes Hokkaido University. 36 (1–2): 1–137.
  6. ↑ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 497–502. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  7. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Umbrina cirrosa". FishBase . December 2016 version.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Fishes of the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean - Brown Meagre (Sciaena umbra)". Marine Species Identification Portal. ETI BioInformatics. Archived from the original on 21 December 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bizsel, C.; Yokes, B.; Pollard, D.; Kara, M.H.; Bariche, M. & Quignard, J.P. (2011). "Sciaena umbra (Mediterranean assessment)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2011 e.T198707A9080239. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Sciaena umbra". Association Mer et Littoral. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  11. ↑ M. Picciulin; M. Bolgan; A.B. Corò; G. Calcagno; S. Malavasi (2016). "Sound production by the Shi drum Umbrina cirrosa and comparison with the brown meagre Sciaena umbra: a passive acoustic monitoring perspective". Journal of Fish Biology. 88 (4): 1655–1660. doi:10.1111/jfb.12926. hdl: 10278/3674577 . PMID   26953119.
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