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Roughhead croaker (Johnius trachycephalus) — Sciaenidae

Roughhead croaker

Johnius trachycephalus
Family: Sciaenidae

The Roughhead croaker (Johnius trachycephalus) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Sciaenidae that grows up to 13 cm.

Length
13 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Diet
Carnivore
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Roughhead croaker is a croaker (Sciaenidae) from turbid coastal and estuarine water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 20 cm and has an elongate, silver-grey body and a large swim bladder with which it makes a drumming sound. As a bottom-oriented fish it searches over sand and mud for worms, small crustaceans and small fish. It is locally a food fish. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Roughhead croaker?

The Roughhead croaker has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Roughhead croaker live?

The Roughhead croaker lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Roughhead croaker get?

The Roughhead croaker grows to a maximum of about 13 cm. On average the species is around 10 cm.

Is the Roughhead croaker dangerous to humans?

No, the Roughhead croaker is harmless to humans.

Is the Roughhead croaker edible?

Yes, the Roughhead croaker is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Ruwkop-ombervis sourced
English name
Roughhead croaker sourced
Scientific name
Johnius trachycephalus
Family
Sciaenidae
Other names
Leaftail croaker verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
13.0 verified
Average length (cm)
10.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. 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 Johnius

More from the family Sciaenidae

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