Atlantic croaker

Atlantic croaker
Atlantic Croaker
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Sciaenidae
Genus: Micropogonias
Species: M. undulatus
Binomial name
Micropogonias undulatus
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Atlantic Croaker in Pass Christian, Mississippi

Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) belongs to the Family Sciaenidae and is closely related to Black Drum (Pogonias cromis), Silver Perch (Bairdiella chrysoura), Spot (Leiostomus xanthurus), Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), and Weakfish (Cynoscion regalis). They are commonly found in sounds and estuaries from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico.

Management

Croaker populations greatly vary year to year, and can be dependent on the conditions of their habitat. Management of croaker is challenging due to the variability year to year.

References

  • Robins, C. Richard, G. Carleton Ray, and John Douglass. A Field Guide to Atlantic Coast Fishes-North America. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York. 1986. 184-188.
  • Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2007). "Micropogonias undulatus" in FishBase. Mar 2007 version.