Atrobucca

Atrobucca is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found in the Indo-West Pacific region.

Atrobucca
Blackmouth croaker (Atrobucca nibe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Acanthuriformes
Family:	Sciaenidae
Genus:	Atrobucca Chu, Lo & Wu, 1963
Type species
Sciaena nibe Jordan & Thompson 1911[1]

Taxonomy

Atrobucca was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1963 by Yuan-ting Chu, Yun-ling Lo and Han-ling Wu with Sciaena nibe as its designated type species and its only species.^[1] S. nibe had been described in 1911 by David Starr Jordan and William Francis Thompson from Wakanoura in the Wakayama Prefecture of Japan.^[2] This genus is classified in the family Sciaenidae which is placed within the suborder Sciaenoidei of the order Acanthuriformes in the 5th edition of Fishes of the World.^[3]

Etymology

Atrobucca is a combination of atro, meaning "black", and bucca, which means "mouth", an allusion to the black mouth and pharyngeal cavity of the type species.^[4]

Species

Atrobucca contains the following valid species:^[5]

• Atrobucca adusta Sasaki & Kailola, 1988 (Scorched croaker)
• Atrobucca alcocki Talwar, 1980 (Largehead croaker)
• Atrobucca antonbruun Sasaki, 1995
• Atrobucca bengalensis Sasaki, 1995 (Bengal blackmouth croaker)
• Atrobucca brevis Sasaki & Kailola, 1988 (Orange croaker)
• Atrobucca geniae Ben-Tuvia & Trewavas, 1987 (Aqaba blackmouth croaker)
• Atrobucca kyushini Sasaki & Kailola, 1988 (Blackspot croaker)
• Atrobucca marleyi (Norman 1922) (African blackmouth croaker)
• Atrobucca nibe (Jordan & Thompson, 1911) (Blackmouth croaker)
• Atrobucca trewavasae Talwar & Sathiarajan, 1975

Characteristics

Atrobucca croakers have a moderately long, elongate body with an oblique, terminal mouth. There are three pairs of mental pores, one on the front of the chin and a pair each side of the tip of the jaw. They have a carrot-shaped swim bladder with many appendages branching out from along its length. The lining of the mouth lining and peritoneum are typically black.^[6] These are relatively small Sciaenids with the largest species being the scorched croaker (A. adusta) with a maximum published standard length of 46 cm (18 in).^[5]

Distribution and habitat

Atrobucca croakers are found in the Indo-Pacific from the eastern coast of Africa to the Western Pacific off Australia and New Guinea.^[5] Some are rare, known from only a few specimens from relatively deepwater while others can be coastal.^[6]

Fisheries

Atrobucca croakers, particularly the blackmouth croaker (A. nibe), can be important food fishes.^[6]