Atractoscion atelodus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Sciaenidae
Genus: Atractoscion
Species:
A. atelodus
Binomial name
Atractoscion atelodus
(Günther, 1867)
Synonyms[2]
  • Otolithus atelodus Günther, 1867
  • Otolithus teraglin Macleay, 1880

Atractoscion atelodus, the small lunate caudal fin croaker, teraglin, Jew, teraglin-Jew, trag or trag-Jew, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This species is endemic to the eastern coast of Australia.

Taxonomy

Atractoscion atelodus was first formally described as Otolithus atelodus in 1867 by the German born British herpetologist and ichthyologist Albert Günther with its type locality given as Australia.[3] Previously it was considered that this taxon was a synonym of A. aequidens which was thought to have a wide distribution in the southeastern Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific but in 2017 workers described two new species and resurrected A. atelodus from the western Pacific, restricting A. aequidens to the southwestern Indian Ocean.[4] This species 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.[5] The specific name atelodus means "imperfect teeth", an allusion to the lack of canines.[6]

Description

Atractoscion atelodus is a large species with a slender, elongate body and a pointed snout, large oblique mouth with a slightly protruding lower jaw.[7] The dorsal fin is supported by 11 spines and 31 to 34 soft rays while the anal fin has 2 spines and 9 soft rays.[2] The adults have no canine-like teeth and the caudal fin is emarginate. The colour of the body is iridescent blue and purple, frequently with diagonal black lines on the flanks. There is bright yellow on the edges of jaws and the inside of the operculum. There is a blotch on the axil of the pectoral-fin.[8] This species reaches a maximum published total length of 51.5 cm (20.3 in).[2]

Distribution and habitat

Atractoscion atelodus is endemic to eastern Australia, here it occurs from southern Queensland south to off Port Hacking, Sydney in New South Wales. The adults are schooling fishes on offshore waters while the juvebiles live in inshore waters, including deeper estuaries.[8] These fishes are found down to depths of 200 m (660 ft).[1]

Fisheries and conservation

Atractoscion atelodus is a quarry species for commercial line fishers in New South Wales Ocean Trap and Line Fishery, with a significant amount caught by recreational anglers. The flesh is regarded as highly palatable. New South Wales has introduced bag and minimum size limits.[8]

This fish is regarded as at least being fished at the maximum level the stock can sustain and may be subject to overfishing. The IUCN does not believe it has enough data to support its classification in a threatened category and classify its conservation status as Data Deficient, albeit with an urgent need for additional research to determine the status and impacts of fishing.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Chao, L.; Carpenter, K.E.; Liu, M.; Seah, Y.G. & Aguilera Socorro, O. (2020). "Atractoscion atelodus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T143616873A143617144. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T143616873A143617144.en. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Atractoscion atelodus" in FishBase. February 2023 version.
  3. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Atractoscion". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  4. ↑ Song, Young-Sun; Kim, Jin-Koo; Kang, Jung-Ha; Kim, Seong-Yong (16 August 2017). "Two new species of the genus Atractoscion, and resurrection of the species Atractoscion atelodus (Günther 1867) (Perciformes: Sciaenidae)". Zootaxa. 4306 (2): 223–237. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4306.2.3.
  5. ↑ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 497–502. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  6. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (9 March 2023). "Series Eupercaria (Incertae sedis): Families Callanthidae, Centrogenyidae, Dinopercidae, Emmelichthyidae, Malacanthidae, Monodactylidae, Moronidae, Parascorpididae, Sciaenidae and Sillagidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  7. ↑ K. Sasaki (2001). "Sciaenidae". In Carpenter, K.E. & Neim, Volker H. (eds.). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 5: Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae) (PDF). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO Rome. p. 3117.
  8. 1 2 3 Bray, D.J. (2017). "Atractoscion atelodus". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
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