Atlantic umber
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Atlantic umber ( Micropogonias undulatus ) |
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| Micropogonias undulatus | ||||||||||||
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The Atlantic umber (Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus ) is a species of the genus Micropogonias off the east coast of North America. It is characterized by (approx. 5) very small (short) barbels (skin lobes) on the edge of the lower jaw. Swimming in troops, he felt his prey from the mud and detritus-rich fine sand areas off the coast: worms, mollusks, crabs (of course also free-swimming), also fish and algae.
description
The Atlantic umber can live to be 55 cm long, 2.6 kg and 5 years old. Its trunk is almost spindle-shaped, pink-beige in color, marked with dark, wavy spots. Because of this undulating pattern , the Atlantic Umber got its kind epitheton undulatus (undulating). The caudal fin is cut off almost straight at the rear edge.
Fin formula : Dorsal D1 X – XI, D2 I / ~ 30, anal AII / 9–11.
Distribution and way of life
It is distributed from Massachusetts to the south, also in the Gulf of Mexico to northern Mexico , but is absent around Florida . Occurrences further south from the Lesser Antilles to Brazil and Argentina are unclear. It is possible that some isolated finds are from a different species, Micropogonias veneeri . The genus Micropogonias also occurs in the eastern Pacific with six species .
The Atlantic umber is one of the best-studied east coast umbers (approx. 23 species) - but much is still unclear. It spawns (in large numbers) in open water, up to 70 km offshore, mostly in autumn. When the larvae spread through the ocean currents, the time of year in which the eggs are released into the open water in large numbers plays a major role. The young fish are, however, at risk when cold water advances. Furthermore, the Atlantic umber has often been severely decimated as an unintentional bycatch , so that its catch results are declining. As with many umbers, it is important that the larvae and young fish can also grow up in waters with a lower salinity ( brackish water ). The larvae can be carried near the coast by currents close to the surface. General environmental pollution leads to bacteriosis . However, the Atlantic umber is still an important economic fish; It is also of great importance for the sport of fishing, especially since it is considered very tasty and can be prepared in a wide variety of ways.
Sound production: Gannon (2007) was able to show that this umber produces sounds not only during spawning foreplay and when being caught (during stress), but also as a means of contact (own "clicks", which are also typical for the age of the animals) .
In the Netherlands it was recently given a vernacular name ("knorrepos" = 'Knurr-Kaulbarsch') - because it is repeated in Belgian-Dutch. Has emerged in coastal waters (after involuntary passage in ballast water ). The genus name is a bit unsuccessful because Cuvier wanted to name the fish shown above " Micropogon " (small beard) in 1830 ; but this name was already given to a bearded bird , so that in 1831 Bonaparte made do by simply adding the ending - ias (as in Pogonias ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ CL Smith: National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf Inc., New York, 1997, p. 720
- ↑ DP Gannon: Acoustic behavior of Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus (Sciaenidae) .- Copeia 2007: 193-204.
Web links
- Atlantic Umber on Fishbase.org (English)
- J. David Whitaker: Atlantic Croaker (PDF; 126 kB)
literature
- Seamap-SA-SCMRD-Staff (2000): Results of trawl effects at the coastal habitats of the South Atlantic Bight, Fly, 1999 .
- CR Robins and GC Ray: A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston 1986, ISBN 0-395-97515-8