Atrobucca | |
---|---|
Blackmouth croaker (Atrobucca nibe) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Acanthuriformes |
Family: | Sciaenidae |
Genus: |
Atrobucca Chu, Lo & Wu, 1963 |
Type species | |
Sciaena nibe |
Atrobucca 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.
Atrobucca was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1963 by Yuan-ting Chu, Yun-ling Lo and Han-ling Wu with Sciaena nibe as its designated type species and its only species. [1] S. nibe had been described in 1911 by David Starr Jordan and William Francis Thompson from Wakanoura in the Wakayama Prefecture of Japan. [2] This genus is classified in the family Sciaenidae which is placed within the suborder Sciaenoidei of the order Acanthuriformes in the 5th edition of Fishes of the World. [3]
Atrobucca is a combination of atro, meaning "black", and bucca, which means "mouth", an allusion to the black mouth and pharyngeal cavity of the type species. [4]
Atrobucca contains the following valid species: [5]
Atrobucca croakers have a moderately long, elongate body with an oblique, terminal mouth. There are three pairs of mental pores, one on the front of the chin and a pair each side of the tip of the jaw. They have a carrot-shaped swim bladder with many appendages branching out from along its length. The lining of the mouth lining and peritoneum are typically black. [6] These are relatively small Sciaenids with the largest species being the scorched croaker (A. adusta) with a maximum published standard length of 46 cm (18 in). [5]
Atrobucca croakers are found in the Indo-Pacific from the eastern coast of Africa to the Western Pacific off Australia and New Guinea. [5] Some are rare, known from only a few specimens from relatively deepwater while others can be coastal. [6]
Atrobucca croakers, particularly the blackmouth croaker (A. nibe), can be important food fishes. [6]