genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of hardheads,
ray-finned fish
Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species.
The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or hor ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
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 drumming sounds they make. The family consists of about 286 to 298 species in about 66 to 70 gen ...
. They are found in tropical and subtropical South America where they inhabit fresh and
brackish
Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...
waters. Some species (notably ''P. squamosissimus'' and ''P. surinamensis'') are important
food fish
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingest ...
and support major fisheries.
Depending on the exact species, they reach up to about in length. In general, the various species are similar and are not easily separated by
meristics Meristics is an area of ichthyology and herpetology which relates to counting quantitative features of fish and reptiles, such as the number of fins or scales. A meristic (countable trait) can be used to describe a particular species of fish, or us ...
or colour.
''Plagioscion'' sometimes occur in
schools
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsor ...
. They are predators and the adults are essentially
piscivorous
A piscivore () is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. The name ''piscivore'' is derived . Piscivore is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophage, both of which mean "fish eater". Fish were the diet of early tetrapod evoluti ...
. The largest in the genus, ''P. squamosissimus'', mainly feeds on fish smaller than , but may take ones up to about 60% of the length of the ''Plagioscion'' itself.
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''.
Species
FishBase
FishBase is a global species database of fish species (specifically finfish). It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web.
currently recognizes 7 species in this genus. The validity of ''P. casattii'' and ''P. surinamensis'' are questionable (both possibly
junior synonym
The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
* In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...
s of ''P. squamosissimus''). In contrast, genetic analysis indicates that two currently unrecognized,
cryptic species
In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...
Plagioscion montei
''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. Some species (notably ''P. squamosissimus'' and ''P. surina ...
''
Soares Soares is a common surname in the Portuguese language and Galician, namely in the Portuguese speaking world, as well as other places. It was originally a patronymic, meaning ''Son of Soeiro''. It is equivalent to the Spanish surname Suárez. Notabl ...
Plagioscion pauciradiatus
''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. Some species (notably ''P. squamosissimus'' and ''P. surina ...
''
Steindachner
Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner describ ...
, 1917
* ''
Plagioscion squamosissimus
''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. Some species (notably ''P. squamosissimus'' and ''P. surina ...
Bleeker Bleeker is a Dutch occupational surname. Bleeker is an old spelling of ''(linnen)bleker'' ("linen bleacher").Plagioscion ternetzi''
Boulenger Boulenger is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Benjamin Boulenger (born 1990), French footballer
* Edward George Boulenger (1888–1946), British zoologist, director of aquarium at London Zoo
* George Albert Boulenger (1858–1 ...