Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) > Sciaenidae (Drums or croakers)
Etymology: Argyrosomus: Greek, argyros = silvered, silver + Greek, soma = body (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Anthony R ‘Tony’ Thorpe was a South African lawyer and avid angler. He sent Smith three undescribed fish that he had discovered in KwaZulu Natal waters and supplied specimens and photographs. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; demersal. Subtropical; 24°S - 36°S, 25°E - 35°E (Ref. 56860)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Indian Ocean: Mozambique to Port Elizabeth, South Africa; also from the west coast of Madagascar.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 33.0 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 71.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4373); common length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3490); max. published weight: 12.0 kg (Ref. 11025)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 26 - 28; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 6 - 7. Body silvery, fins orange-brown or yellowish (Ref. 4373).

Found in coastal waters. Juveniles are found on sand or mud substrate and the adults predominantly on reef (Ref. 12200). Spawns in the winter (Ref. 12199). An important food fish. Sold fresh in markets.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea and W.B. Scott, 1991. World fishes important to North Americans. Exclusive of species from the continental waters of the United States and Canada. Am. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. (21):243 p. (Ref. 4537)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)

Endangered (EN) (A2bd); Date assessed: 02 August 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators

Ecology
Ecology

Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance

Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics

Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
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Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith

Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)

Genetics
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability

Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.

Outreach
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Taxonomy
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Morphology
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References
References

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 23.7 - 25.2, mean 24.7 °C (based on 10 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5020 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00851 (0.00415 - 0.01744), b=3.08 (2.91 - 3.25), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.1 ±0.7 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (48 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Argyrosomus thorpei Smith, 1977