Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepède, 1802
Spot croaker
Leiostomus xanthurus
photo by NOAA\NMFS\Mississippi Laboratory

Family:  Sciaenidae (Drums or croakers)
Max. size:  36 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 450.0 g; max. reported age: 4 years
Environment:  demersal; brackish; marine; depth range - 60 m, oceanodromous
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: Massachusetts to northern Mexico; absent in southern Florida.
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  Found usually over sandy or muddy bottoms in coastal waters to about 60 m depth. Occurs in nursery and feeding grounds in river estuaries during summer and fall. Juveniles often stay in the estuarine waters throughout the year. Feeds mainly on worms, small crustaceans and organic detritus. A small specimen of this species was caught in Tokyo Bay, Japan, probably brought in with the ballast water of a ship (Ref. 10325).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 09 October 2019 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 


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