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Smooth weakfish (Cynoscion leiarchus) — Sciaenidae

Smooth weakfish

Cynoscion leiarchus
Family: Sciaenidae

The Smooth weakfish (Cynoscion leiarchus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Sciaenidae that grows up to 91 cm.

Length
90.8 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
10.0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The smooth weakfish is a croaker (Sciaenidae) from coastal and estuarine water of the western Atlantic, off South America. The species grows to about 90 cm and has an elongate, silvery body with a large, toothed mouth. As a bottom-oriented predator it lives in schools over sand and mud bottoms of coastal water and river mouths and hunts fish and shrimp; it drums with its swim bladder. It is an important food fish. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Smooth weakfish?

The Smooth weakfish has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Smooth weakfish live?

The Smooth weakfish lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Smooth weakfish get?

The Smooth weakfish grows to a maximum of about 91 cm. On average the species is around 35 cm.

Is the Smooth weakfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Smooth weakfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Smooth weakfish edible?

Yes, the Smooth weakfish is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Gladde ombervis sourced
English name
Smooth weakfish sourced
Scientific name
Cynoscion leiarchus
Family
Sciaenidae
Other names
Smooth weakfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
90.8 verified
Average length (cm)
35.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
10.0 verified
Max depth (m)
50.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Cynoscion

More from the family Sciaenidae

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