Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Sciaenidae (Drums or croakers)
Etymology: Pseudotolithus: Greek, pseudes = false + greek, otos = ear + Greek, lithos = stone (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 0 - 100 m (Ref. 3593), usually 50 - 100 m (Ref. 26999). Tropical, preferred 26°C (Ref. 107945); 17°N - 6°S, 17°W - 14°E (Ref. 54743)
Eastern Atlantic: west coast of Africa, from Senegal to southern Angola (Ref. 3593, 57396).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 19.1 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 47.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5752); common length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3593)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal
spines
(total): 11;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 29-34;
Anal
spines: 2;
Anal
soft rays: 6. Diagnosis: medium-sized fish, fusiform and compressed; head short; eyes rather large; snout short; mouth large and oblique, subterminal; teeth villiform, set in narrow bands in both jaws; 5 marginal pores on snout and 6 mental pores; gill rakers long and slender, longer than gill filaments at angle of first gill arch; dorsal fin long, deeply notched; 2nd anal fin spine very strong, about as long as 1st soft ray and comprised less than twice in head length; caudal fin more or less pointed; scales ctenoid on body, cycloid on breast and head; lateral line extending to hind margin of caudal fin; swim bladder carrot-shaped, its front end with a pair of appendages subdividing into a group of short anterior branches and a bundle of 5-6 slender tubes extending backwards over half the length of swim bladder (Ref. 57396).
Coloration: back olivaceous brown, sides silvery with series of dark dots, belly light, yellowish during reproduction period; spinous part of dorsal fin dark, soft part lighter, with 2-3 longitudinal series of dark dots; pelvics and anal fin yellowish (Ref. 57396).
Found in coastal waters over mud bottom (Ref. 3593, 57396), very close to the shore (Ref. 57396). Also enters estuaries and coastal lagoons (Ref. 3593), where reproduction takes place (Ref. 57396). Moves farther offshore to about 100 m for spawning during rainy season from December to February; Feeds on fish and shrimps (Ref. 28587).
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. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
More information
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5156 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00646 (0.00374 - 0.01115), b=3.09 (2.95 - 3.23), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 4.1 ±0.70 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.27-0.4;).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (31 of 100) .
