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Sciaenidae is a family of fish commonly called drums or croakers for the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds by which they make themselves heard, even under water. The family includes the weakfish, and consists of about 275 species in about 70 genera; it belongs to the order Perciformes.

Sciaenids have a long dorsal fin reaching nearly to the tail, and a notch between the rays and spines of the dorsal, although the two parts are actually separate.

They are found worldwide, in both fresh and saltwater, and are typically benthic carnivores, feeding on invertebrates and smaller fish.

The sounds are produced by the beating of abdominal muscles against the swim bladder. The silurus, a large and ravenous fish, which abounds in the Danube, gives daily proof of this phenomenon.

Genera

• Aplodinotus
• Argyrosomus
• Aspericorvina
• Atractoscion
• Atrobucca
• Austronibea
• Bahaba
• Bairdiella
• Boesemania
• Cheilotrema
• Chrysochir
• Cilus
• Collichthys
• Corvula
• Ctenosciaena
• Cynoscion
• Daysciaena
• Dendrophysa
• Elattarchus
• Equetus
• Genyonemus
• Isopisthus
• Johnius
• Kathala
• Larimichthys
• Larimus
• Leiostomus
• Lonchurus
• Macrodon
• Macrospinosa
• Megalonibea
• Menticirrhus (Kingfish)
• Micropogonias
• Miichthys
• Miracorvina
• Nebris
• Nibea
• Odontoscion
• Ophioscion
• Otolithes
• Otolithoides
• Pachypops
• Pachyurus
• Panna
• Paralonchurus
• Paranibea
• Pareques
• Pennahia
• Pentheroscion
• Plagioscion
• Pogonias
• Protonibea
• Protosciaena
• Pseudosciaena
• Pseudotolithus
• Pteroscion
• Pterotolithus
• Roncador
• Sciaena
• Sciaenops
• Seriphus
• Sonorolux
• Stellifer
• Totoaba
• Umbrina

External link

• http://www.rra.dst.tx.us/bi/fish/county/order/SCIAENIDAE.htm