Scientific Name
Cynoscion microlepidotus

Common Name
Smallscale weakfish

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 22-25; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10. Silvery greenish to greyish on back, whitish on belly. Tip of dorsal fin darkish. Upper rays of pectoral fins, anterior part of anal fin and caudal fin yellowish. Mouth large, oblique, lower jaw projecting. Upper jaw with a pair of large canine-like teeth at tip. Gradually increasing in size posteriorly. Chin without barbel or pore, snout with 2 marginal pores. Gas bladder with a pair of long and straight horn-like appendages. Scales very small, all cycloid (smooth) with 140 or more transverse scales above lateral line. Soft portion of dorsal fin covered with scales beyond basal half of fin (Ref 51721).

Classification

Classified By

Cuvier, 1830

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Drums or croakers (Sciaenidae)

Distribution

Region

Western Atlantic

Distribution

Western Atlantic: Venezuela to Santos, Brazil.

Range

Unknown

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

30 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range ? - 30 m (Ref. 3702)

Trophic Level

4.09 s.e. 0.61 Based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

92.0 cm

Common Length

50.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial

Vulnerability

Moderate to high vulnerability (48 of 100)

Resilience

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

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated