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Belangeri croaker (Johnius belangerii) — Sciaenidae

Belangeri croaker

Johnius belangerii
Family: Sciaenidae
LC · Least Concern

The Belangeri croaker (Johnius belangerii) is a brackish-water fish of the family Sciaenidae that grows up to 30 cm.

Length
30 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0–40.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Range
Indo-West Pacific
Edibility
Commonly eaten

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Description

Belanger's croaker is a small croaker from the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 30 cm and has a streamlined, silvery body with an inferior mouth. Like other croakers it makes drumming sounds with its swim bladder. It schools over sand and mud bottoms of shallow coastal and estuarine water and hunts small crustaceans, worms and fish. It is a local food fish. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Belangeri croaker?

The Belangeri croaker has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern. Makes drumming sounds with the swim bladder; schooling coastal drum

Where does the Belangeri croaker live?

The Belangeri croaker lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom. Indo-West Pacific

How big does the Belangeri croaker get?

The Belangeri croaker grows to a maximum of about 30 cm. On average the species is around 20 cm.

Is the Belangeri croaker dangerous to humans?

No, the Belangeri croaker is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Belangeri croaker edible?

Yes, the Belangeri croaker is commonly eaten.

More photos

Belangeri croaker (Johnius belangerii) — Sciaenidae — 2
iNaturalist ((c) Jiayuan Lin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Belangeri croaker (Johnius belangerii) — Sciaenidae — 3
Wikimedia Commons — George Henry Ford (Public domain)
Belangeri croaker (Johnius belangerii) — Sciaenidae — 4
Randall, John E. (CC0 1.0) via GBIF — USNM
Belangeri croaker (Johnius belangerii) — Sciaenidae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) Jiayuan Lin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
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All data

Identification

English name
Belangeri croaker verified
Scientific name
Johnius belangerii
Family
Sciaenidae
Other names
Belanger's croaker; Belanger's jewfish; Jewfish; Boulenger's croaker; Croaker; Little jewfish; Little jew-perch; Mini-knob; Perch; River perch verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
30.0 verified
Average length (cm)
20.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Max depth (m)
40.0 verified
Natural range
Indo-West Pacific verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Small crustaceans, worms and small fishes inferred
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced
Seasonality
Schooling coastal croaker; present year-round. sourced
Special features
Makes drumming sounds with the swim bladder; schooling coastal drum sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Net fishing sourced
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Johnius

More from the family Sciaenidae

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