[ However, a large proportion of the catch is not reported at species level; in the FAO fishery statistics, the category "Croakers, drums, not elsewhere included", is the largest one within sciaenids, with annual landings of 431,000–780,000 tonnes in 2000–2009, most of which were reported from the western Indian Ocean (FAO fishing area 51) and northwest Pacific (FAO fishing area 61).]
The future of croakers, like many other fish species in the United States and around the world is uncertain because overfishing continues to be a major threats. The population has decreased significantly which will affect their ability reproduce. In United States Croakers are managed by the federal and state governments to ensure that they're harvested sustainably.
Croaking mechanism
A notable trait of sciaenids is the ability to produce a "croaking" sound. However the pitch and use of croaking varies species to species. The croaking ability is a distinguishing characteristic of sciaenids. The croaking mechanism is used by males as a mating call
A mating call is the auditory signal used by animals to attract mates. It can occur in males or females, but literature is abundantly favored toward researching mating calls in females. In addition, mating calls are often the subject of mate choic ...
in some species.
To produce the croaking sound, special muscles vibrate against the swim bladder
The swim bladder, gas bladder, fish maw, or air bladder is an internal gas-filled Organ (anatomy), organ that contributes to the ability of many bony fish (but not cartilaginous fish) to control their buoyancy, and thus to stay at their curren ...
. These muscles are called sonic muscle fibres, and run horizontally along the fish's body on both sides around the swim bladder, connected to a central tendon
A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...
that surrounds the swim bladder ventrally. These sonic muscle fibres are repeatedly contracted against the swim bladder to produce the croaking sound that gives drum and croaker their common name, effectively using the swim bladder as a resonating chamber. The sciaenids' large swim bladder is more expansive and branched than other species, which aids in the croaking. In some species the sonic muscle fibres are only present in males. These muscles strengthen during the mating season
Seasonal breeders are animal species that successfully mate only during certain times of the year. These times of year allow for the optimization of survival of young due to factors such as ambient temperature, food and water availability, and cha ...
and are allowed to atrophy the rest of the time, deactivating the croaking mechanism. In other species, most notably the Atlantic croaker
The Atlantic croaker (''Micropogonias undulatus'') is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae and is closely related to the black drum (''Pogonias cromis''), the silver perch (''Bairdiella chrysoura''), the spot cro ...
, the croaking mechanism is present in both sexes and remains active year-round. These species are thought to use croaking for communication, such as announcing hazards and location when in turbid water.
Croaking in communication
In some species, croaking is used for communication aside from attracting mates. For those species that have year-round croaking ability, the croaks may serve as a low-aggression warning during group feeding, as well as to communicate location in cloudy water. In those species that lack the ability to croak year-round, croaking is usually restricted to males for attracting mates. A disadvantage to the croaking ability is that it allows bottlenose dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains two species: the common ...
to easily locate large groups of croaker and drum as they broadcast their position, indicating large amounts of food for the dolphins.
Genera
*''Aplodinotus
The freshwater drum, ''Aplodinotus grunniens'', is a fish endemic to North and Central America. It is the only species in the genus ''Aplodinotus'', and is a member of the family Sciaenidae. It is the only North American member of the group that ...
''
*''Argyrosomus
''Argyrosomus'' is a genus of fish in the drum family, Sciaenidae. They are large fish, with the largest, '' A. regius'', growing up to 230 cm in length. They are commonly targeted as game fish.
* Amoy croaker, ''Argyrosomus amoyensis'' (B ...
''
*'' Aspericorvina''
*''Atractoscion
''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.
Taxonomy
''Atractoscion'' was first proposed as a ...
''
*'' Atrobucca''
*'' Austronibea''
*''Bahaba
''Bahaba'' is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the Indo-West Pacific region.
Taxonomy
''Bahaba'' was first proposed as a monotypic subgenus of the genus '' ...
''
*''Bairdiella
''Bairdiella'' is a genus of fish in the family Sciaenidae.
Species
There are currently six recognized species in this genus:
*'' Bairdiella armata'' Gill, 1863 – armed croaker
*''Bairdiella chrysoura'' ( Lacépède, 1802) – silver perch
*' ...
''
*''Boesemania
''Boesemania'' is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Sciaenidae. This genus contains the single species ''Boesemania microlepis''. Also known as the Boeseman croaker and smallscale croaker, this fish lives in southeast Asian rivers.
Descrip ...
''
*'' Cheilotrema''
*'' Chrysochir''
*'' Cilus''
*'' Collichthys''
*'' Corvula''
*''Ctenosciaena
''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.
Taxonomy
''Ctenosciaena'' was first proposed as a ...
''
*''Cynoscion
''Cynoscion'' is a genus of fish in the drum family, Sciaenidae. It contains the weakfish and seatrouts.
Species
The genus consists of 24 species:
* '' Cynoscion acoupa'' (Lacepède, 1801) -- Acoupa weakfish
* '' Cynoscion albus'' (Günther, ...
''
*''Daysciaena
The Bengal corvina (''Daysciaena albida'') is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae
Sciaenidae are a family of fish in the order Acanthuriformes. They are commonly called drums or croakers in reference to the re ...
''
*''Dendrophysa
The goatee croaker (''Dendrophysa russelii'') is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the Family (biology), family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. It is the only species in the monospecific genus ''Dendrophysa''. This species is fo ...
''
*''Elattarchus
The bluestreak drum (''Elattarchus archidium''), also known as the bluish croaker, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the Family (biology), family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. It is the only species in the monospecific genu ...
''
*'' Equetus''
*'' Genyonemus''
*'' Isopisthus''
*''Jefitchia
''Jefitchia'' is an extinct genus of prehistoric drum. Species lived from 48.6–33.9 mya (Middle Eocene – Late Oligocene).
''Jefitchia'' have been uncovered in Texas, Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane ...
''
*'' Johnius''
*'' Kathala''
*'' Larimichthys''
*'' Larimus''
*'' Leiostomus''
*'' Lonchurus''
*'' Macrodon''
*'' Macrospinosa''
*'' Megalonibea''
*'' Menticirrhus''
*''Micropogonias
''Micropogonias'' is a genus of fish in the family Sciaenidae (Croakers).
References
*
Sciaenidae
Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte
{{Perciformes-stub
nl:Knorrepos ...
''
*'' Miichthys''
*''Miracorvina
The Angola croaker (''Miracorvina angolensis'') is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This is the only species in the monospecific genus ''Miracorvina''. This fish is found in the easte ...
''
*''Nebris
''Nebris'' is a small genus of fish in the family Sciaenidae.
Species
There are currently two recognized species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodive ...
''
*'' Nibea''
*'' Odontoscion''
*'' Ophioscion''
*'' Otolithes''
*'' Otolithoides''
*'' Pachypops''
*'' Pachyurus''
*'' Panna''
*'' Paralonchurus''
*'' Paranebris''
*'' Paranibea''
*''Pareques
''Pareques'' is a genus of fish of the family Sciaenidae in the order of the Perciformes.
Species
The species of this genus are:
* ''Pareques acuminatus
''Pareques acuminatus'', (the high-hat, cubbyu, streaked ribbonfish or striped drum), i ...
''
*'' Pennahia''
*''Pentheroscion
''Pentheroscion'' is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. Its only species is ''Pentheroscion mbizi'', which the FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the Unite ...
''
*'' Petilipinnis''
*'' Plagioscion''
*'' Pogonias''
*'' Protonibea''
*'' Protosciaena''
*''Pseudotolithus
''Pseudotolithus'' is a genus of croaker or bar, ray-finned fish in the family Sciaenidae
Sciaenidae are a family of fish in the order Acanthuriformes. They are commonly called drums or croakers in reference to the repetitive throbbing or dru ...
''
*'' Pteroscion''
*'' Pterotolithus''
*''Robaloscion
''Robaloscion wieneri'' is a species of fish in the family (biology), family Sciaenidae.It is the only member of its genus. This species is native to Southeast Pacific.Béarez, P. & Schwarzhans, W. (2014)''Robaloscion'', a new genus for ''Sciaen ...
''
*'' Roncador''
*''Sciaena
''Sciaena'' is a genus of fish in the family Sciaenidae. They are native to Pacific, South America and Eastern Atlantic.
Species
There are currently 3 recognized species in this genus:Béarez, P. & Schwarzhans, W. (2013): ''Robaloscion'', a new ...
''
*''Sciaenops
The red drum (''Sciaenops ocellatus''), also known as redfish, channel bass, puppy drum, spottail bass, or simply red, is a game fish found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to northern Mexi ...
''
*'' Seriphus''
*'' Sonorolux''
*''Stellifer
''Stellifer'' is a genus of fish in the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. It is found in New World waters.Chao, N. L. (2001)Two new species of ''Stellifer'' from inshore waters of the eastern Pacific, with a redescription of ''S. ephelis ...
''
*''Totoaba
The totoaba or totuava (''Totoaba macdonaldi'') 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 abundan ...
''
*'' Umbrina''
Timeline of genera
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The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 mya (unit), million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), E ...
from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...
from: -33.9 till: -23.03 color:oligocene text:Oligocene
The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...
from: -23.03 till: -5.332 color:miocene text:Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text: Plio.
from: -2.588 till: -0.0117 color:pleistocene text:Pleist.
The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed in ...
from: -0.0117 till: 0 color:holocene text: H.
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from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:Paleogene
The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...
from: -23.03 till: -2.588 color:neogene text:Neogene
The Neogene ( ), informally Upper Tertiary or Late Tertiary, is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period Mya. ...
from: -2.588 till: 0 color:quaternary text: Q.
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color:oligocene bar:NAM1 from: -28.4 till: 0 text: Larimus
color:miocene bar:NAM2 from: -23.03 till: 0 text: Argyrosomus
''Argyrosomus'' is a genus of fish in the drum family, Sciaenidae. They are large fish, with the largest, '' A. regius'', growing up to 230 cm in length. They are commonly targeted as game fish.
* Amoy croaker, ''Argyrosomus amoyensis'' (B ...
color:miocene bar:NAM3 from: -23.03 till: 0 text: Ctenosciaena
''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.
Taxonomy
''Ctenosciaena'' was first proposed as a ...
color:miocene bar:NAM4 from: -23.03 till: 0 text: Nebris
''Nebris'' is a small genus of fish in the family Sciaenidae.
Species
There are currently two recognized species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodive ...
color:miocene bar:NAM5 from: -23.03 till: 0 text: Pogonias
color:miocene bar:NAM6 from: -23.03 till: 0 text: Umbrina
color:miocene bar:NAM7 from: -15.97 till: 0 text: Sciaenops
The red drum (''Sciaenops ocellatus''), also known as redfish, channel bass, puppy drum, spottail bass, or simply red, is a game fish found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to northern Mexi ...
color:miocene bar:NAM8 from: -11.608 till: 0 text: Bairdiella
''Bairdiella'' is a genus of fish in the family Sciaenidae.
Species
There are currently six recognized species in this genus:
*'' Bairdiella armata'' Gill, 1863 – armed croaker
*''Bairdiella chrysoura'' ( Lacépède, 1802) – silver perch
*' ...
color:miocene bar:NAM9 from: -11.608 till: 0 text: Cynoscion
''Cynoscion'' is a genus of fish in the drum family, Sciaenidae. It contains the weakfish and seatrouts.
Species
The genus consists of 24 species:
* '' Cynoscion acoupa'' (Lacepède, 1801) -- Acoupa weakfish
* '' Cynoscion albus'' (Günther, ...
color:miocene bar:NAM10 from: -11.608 till: 0 text: Menticirrhus
color:miocene bar:NAM11 from: -11.608 till: 0 text: Sciaena
''Sciaena'' is a genus of fish in the family Sciaenidae. They are native to Pacific, South America and Eastern Atlantic.
Species
There are currently 3 recognized species in this genus:Béarez, P. & Schwarzhans, W. (2013): ''Robaloscion'', a new ...
color:pliocene bar:NAM12 from: -5.332 till: 0 text: Aplodinotus
The freshwater drum, ''Aplodinotus grunniens'', is a fish endemic to North and Central America. It is the only species in the genus ''Aplodinotus'', and is a member of the family Sciaenidae. It is the only North American member of the group that ...
color:pliocene bar:NAM13 from: -5.332 till: 0 text: Seriphus
color:pleistocene bar:NAM14 from: -2.588 till: 0 text: Genyonemus
color:pleistocene bar:NAM15 from: -2.588 till: 0 text: Pennahia
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from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:Eocene
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from: -0.0117 till: 0 color:holocene text: H.
bar:era
from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:Paleogene
The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...
from: -23.03 till: -2.588 color:neogene text:Neogene
The Neogene ( ), informally Upper Tertiary or Late Tertiary, is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period Mya. ...
from: -2.588 till: 0 color:quaternary text: Q.
References
Further reading
*
{{Authority control
Perciformes families
Extant Oligocene first appearances
Taxa named by Georges Cuvier