Teleostei (teleosts) >
Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) >
Sciaenidae (Drums or croakers)
Etymology: Argyrosomus: Greek, argyros = silvered, silver + Greek, soma = body (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Lacepède.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; depth range ? - 400 m (Ref. 27121), usually 15 - 150 m (Ref. 27121). Subtropical; 13°C - 24°C (Ref. 3593); 11°N - 27°S, 43°E - 51°E
Indian Ocean: endemic to Madagascar (Ref. 11025). Reports from "Ghana to South Africa" (Ref. 57396) refer to Argyrosomus regius and Argyrosomus coronus (Ref. 11025).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 200 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4336); common length : 100.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9772); max. published weight: 71.0 kg (Ref. 5369); max. reported age: 30 years (Ref. 12198)
Found in lower reaches of rivers, estuaries, rocky reefs, ocean beaches and on the continental shelf down to 150 m (Ref. 9772). Caught near the bottom and in mid-water. Feed mainly at night or in turbid waters (Ref. 27121), preying on cuttlefish (Ref. 27121), fishes, crabs, prawns, and worms (Ref. 9772).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Chao, L.N. and E. Trewavas, 1990. Sciaenidae. p. 813-826. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 3593)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 126983)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
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