| Pachyurus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pachyurus squamipinnis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Sciaenidae |
| Genus: | Pachyurus Agassiz, 1831 |
| Type species | |
| Pachyurus squamipennis Agassiz, 1831 [1] | |
| Species | |
see text | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Pachyurus is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. The ten recognised species in the genus are found in South America.
Pachyurus was first proposed as a genus in 1831 by the Swiss born American naturalist Louis Agassiz when he described the new species Pachyurus squamipennis, [1] with a type locality given as Januária on the São Francisco River, Minas Gerais, in Brazil. [2] The genus Pachyurus is included in the subfamily Pachyurinae by some workers, [3] but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sciaenidae, which it places in the order Acanthuriformes. [4] In addition, Pachyurinae, is an invalid name as it is preoccupied by a tribe of cycad weevils, the Pachyurini Kuschel, 1959 . [1]
Pachyurus is a combination of pachy, meaning "thick", and oura, which means "tail". This is an allusion to the dense covering of scales on the caudal fin of the type species, P. squamipennis. [5]
Pachyurus contains ten described, recognised species: [6]
Pachyurus croakers have a moderately elongated body with a sounded, slightly high dorsal profile and a straight or slightly arched, ventral profile. They have a conical head with a swollen and blunt snout. The mouth is horizontal and may be terminal or below the snout. The eyes are moderately large to large. The snout has five marginal pores, typically they lack upper pores but these are present in some species. The chin has five pores but no barbels. The second spine of the anal fin is moderately sized or robust. [7] These are relatively small croakers, the largest species is P. junki with a maximum published total length of 35.5 cm (14.0 in). [6]
Pachyurus croakers are found in freshwater habitats in South America from Guyana south to Argentina. [7] One species, the La Plata croaker (P. bonariensis), is an invasive, non native species in the Lagoa Mirim and Lagoa dos Patos systems in Uruguay and Brazil where it is already numerous enough to be important in commercial fisheries in these lakes. They reached these lakes either by deliberate introduction or by moving from the nearby river systems through flooded rice fields. [8]
Menticirrhus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonng to the family Sciaenidae, the drums or croakers. They are commonly known as kingcroakers or kingfish. These fish are found in the Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans.
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.
Micropogonias is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the eastern Pacific and western Atlantic Oceans.
Plagioscion is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. They are found in tropical and subtropical South America where they inhabit fresh and brackish waters. Some species are important food fish and support major fisheries.
The striped croaker, also known as the St Lucian corvina, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This species is found in the western Atlantic Ocean in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
Pareques acuminatus, commonly known as the high-hat, donkeyfish, cubbyu, Steindachner's ribbonfish, streaked ribbonfish, striped ribbonfish or striped drum, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the genus Pareques in the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This species is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Larimichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes, commonly known as yellow croakers, are found in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Panna is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in southern and southeast Asia.
Corvula is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the western Atlantic Ocean and the central eastern Pacific Ocean.
Bairdiella is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Umbrina is a genus of fish from the croaker family Sciaenidae. The genus contains 17 species occurring in tropical and warm temperate waters of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Western Indian Ocean and the eastern Pacific.
Atractoscion is a genus of marine ray-finned fished belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. The fishes in this genus are found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Lonchurus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the Western Atlantic.
Johnius is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. They are commonly known as croakers due to their ability to produce purring, croaking and knocking sounds. The sounds are produced mainly at night and are thought to be either involved in defense or for courtship.
Odontoscion dentex, the reef croaker or brown large-eyed croaker, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. It is found in coral and rocky reefs of the tropical Western Atlantic, living as solitary individuals or in small groups at a depth of 1 to 30 m. This species feeds on small fish, shrimp, and larvae.
Ctenosciaena is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the Western Atlantic and southeastern Pacific Oceans.
Micropogonias furnieri, the whitemouth croaker, golden croaker, hardhead, mangrove snapper, rocandoronco, two-belly bashaw, West Indian croaker, West Indian drum or whitemouth drummer, 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 Ocean.
Otolithes is a small genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. The three recognised species in the genus are found in the Indo-West Pacific region.
Pachypops is a small genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. The three recognised species in the genus are found in South America.
Paralonchurus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the eastern Pacific Ocean with one species in the western Atlantic Ocean.