{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{Speciesbox | image = Lisbon, Oceanarium, Argyrosomus regius.JPG | image_caption = | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Pollard, D.A. |author2=Bizsel, K. |date=2020 |title=''Argyrosomus regius'' |volume=2020 |article-number=e.T198706A130099146 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T198706A130099146.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> | taxon = Argyrosomus regius | authority = [[Ignacio Jordán Claudio de Asso y del Rio|Asso]], 1801<ref name = Fishbase/> | synonyms = {{Collapsible list| * ''Sciaena aquila'' Cuvier, 1817 * ''Perca regia'' Asso, 1801 * ''Argyrosomus regium'' (Asso, 1801) * ''Sciaena regius'' (Asso, 1801) * ''Cheilodipterus aquila'' Lacepède, 1803 * ''Sciaena aquila'' (Lacepède, 1803) * ''Perca vanloo'' Risso, 1810 * ''Argyrosomus procerus'' De la Pylaie, 1835 * ''Sciaena umbra'' (non Linnaeus, 1758) * ''Johnius hololepidotus'' (non Lacepède, 1801) }} | synonyms_ref = <ref name = Fishbase/> }}
'''''Argyrosomus regius''''', also known as the '''meagre''', '''croaker''', '''jewfish''', '''shade-fish''', '''sowa''', '''kir''', '''corvina''', '''salmon-bass''' or '''stone bass''', is a species of [[fish]] of the family [[Sciaenidae]]. This large fish has a pearly-silver to brownish coloration and a yellow-coloured mouth. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, as well as the [[Mediterranean]] and [[Black Sea]]s.<ref name = Fishbase/>
==Taxonomy== ''Argyrosomus regius'' was first formally [[Species description|described]] in 1801 as ''Perca regia'' by the Spanish [[diplomat]], [[naturalist]], [[lawyer]] and [[historian]] [[Ignacio Jordán Claudio de Asso y del Rio]] with the [[Type locality (biology)|type locality]] given as [[La Rochelle]] in [[Charente-Maritime]] on the [[Bay of Biscay]] coast of France.<ref name = CofF >{{Cof genus|genus=Argyrosomus|access-date=17 August 2021}}</ref> The [[Specific name (zoology)|specific name]] ''regius'' means "royal". This was not explained by Asso but may be a [[Latinisation of names|Latinisation]] of the [[Catalan language|Catalan]] name for this species, ''reix''.<ref name = ETYFfish>{{cite web | url = https://etyfish.org/acanthuriformes5/ | title = Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 5): Family SCIAENIDAE | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | editor1 = Christopher Scharpf | editor2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style = amp | date = 19 December 2024 | access-date = 20 February 2025 | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara | version = v. 3.0}}</ref>
==Description== ''Argyrosomus regius'' has a relatively large head with quite small eyes, the large mouth is at the terminal position and it has an elongated body. The [[lateral line]] is easily seen and extends all the way to the [[caudal fin]]. The rear [[dorsal fin|dorsal]] fin is much longer than first one which has nine rays. The first ray of the anal fin is short and spiny while the second is very thin. The swim bladder contains several branched appendages which are vibrated to make a grunting sound which can be heard from up to 30m away and this grunting is produced by the males during the spawning season. The body colour is pearly-silver, with bronze traits dorsally. The fin bases are reddish brown and mouth cavity yellow-gold or salmon pink. The scales are large and every fourth scale is set at a different angle from the rest.<ref name = FAO>{{cite web | url = http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Argyrosomus_regius/en | title = Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme ''Argyrosomus regius'' (Asso, 1801) | access-date = 26 December 2016 | publisher = [[Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations]]}}</ref><ref name = Glaucus>{{cite web | url = https://www.glaucus.org.uk/Drumfish.htm | title = ''Argyrosomus regius'' | access-date = 26 December 2016 | publisher = British Marine Life Study Society}}</ref> It can reach up to {{cvt|2.3|m|ft}} in total length and {{cvt|103|kg|lb}} in weight.<ref name = Fishbase/>
[[File:Maigre11.jpg|thumb|left]]
==Distribution== ''Argyrosomus regius'' is found in the eastern Atlantic from [[Norway]] to [[DR Congo]], including the [[Mediterranean Sea]] and the [[Black Sea]]. It has colonised the [[Red Sea]] by migrating through the [[Suez Canal]], an [[Lessepsian migration|anti-Lessepsian migration]].<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021"/><ref name = Fishbase>{{cite web | url = http://www.fishbase.org/summary/418 | title = Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801) | access-date = 26 December 2016 | publisher = Fishbase.org}}</ref> It is rare in the relatively cold, far north of its range, including off the British Isles (three records) and Scandinavia.<ref name = Glaucus/>
==Behaviour and life history== [[File:Κρανιός cretaquarium 1122.jpg|thumb|Two individuals at [[Cretaquarium]] in Greece]] ''Argyrosomus regius'' is a [[demersal]], [[oceanodromous]] fish which is found in inshore waters and on the [[continental shelf]], it can occur close to the bottom as well as in surface and mid-waters. The adults prey on [[grey mullet]] and [[Clupeidae|clupeids]] such as sardines<ref name = Glaucus/> which are actively pursued in open water. The adults gather in inshore waters to spawn during spring and summer. The juveniles and subadults prefer estuaries and coastal lagoons, and the health of recruitment into the adult population is possibly determined by the availability of these habitats. These fish are migratory, at all ages, migrating along shore or between offshore and inshore waters in response to temperature changes. ''A. regius'' feeds on fishes and swimming crustaceans and mostly occurs over sand, close to rocks, at depths of {{cvt|1-200|m|ft}}, but commonly found at {{cvt|15-100|m|ft}}. The three main spawning sites in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea are the [[Nile Delta]], [[Dakhlet Nouadhibou|Lévrier Bay]], and the [[Gironde estuary]] and with large numbers of adults congregate at these sites between May and July.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" /> Large schools of ''A. regius'' occur around wrecked ships that were deliberately sunk to create new habitat for a number of commercially caught species of fish. Most of their growth happens during the summer months and feeding activity is significantly reduced when the water temperature drops below {{cvt|13-15|C|F}}.<ref name = FAO/>
The newly hatched juveniles leave the estuaries where they spend the first few months at the end of summer and move into coastal waters with depths between {{cvt|20|and(-)|40|m|ft}} where they spend the winter months. In the following [[spring (season)|spring]] they return to their estuarine feeding areas from the middle of May. Water temperature is the most important factor that determines the trophic migration and reproduction of meagre. An adult female ''A. regius'' measuring {{cvt|1.2|m|ft}} in length produces about 800,000 eggs and spawning occurs when the water temperature is {{cvt|17-22|C|F}}. The juveniles eat small demersal fish and crustaceans switching to pelagic fish and cephalopods once they grow to 30–40 cm in length.<ref name = FAO/>
==Fisheries== ''Argyrosomus regius'' is fished commercially using trawls, long lines, and hand lines. It is also a sport fishing quarry species.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" /> Specimens of 1.8 m in length and over 50 kg in weight which were landed in Portugal in 2002 fetched over €200.<ref name = Prista>{{cite thesis |last= Prista | first= Nuno Miguel Guerra Geoffroy|date=2013 |title= Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801) fishery and ecology in Portuguese waters, with reference to its relationships to other European and African populations|type= Ph.D.|chapter= 1|publisher= Universidad de Lisboa|chapter-url= http://repositorio.ul.pt/bitstream/10451/10817/1/ulsd068002_td_Nuno_Prista.pdf|access-date= 26 December 2016}}</ref> The main meagre fisheries are currently in Mauritania, Morocco, and Egypt and these account for over 80% of the annual world catch of around 10,000 tonnes. The European fisheries are comparatively small and are on the Atlantic coasts of Spain, Portugal and France with annual catches of 800 t in France, 400 t in Portugal and 150 t in Spain.<ref name = Prista/>
==Aquaculture== The farming of ''Argyrosomus regius'' is still rather experimental and involves intensive production, in land-based tanks and sea cages. There are few facilities established mainly in southern France where they are in the [[Camargue]], [[Cannes]], and [[Corsica]], in [[Huelva]], Spain, and at [[La Spezia]] and [[Laguna di Orbetello]] in Italy.<ref name = FAO/> It is also produced in large quantities in Turkey.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.benessere.com/alimentazione/pesce/142_Ombrina_boccadoro.htm List of names in the various countries] {{in lang|it}} *[http://www.bioline.org.br/abstract?id=fb95004&lang=en Taxonomy of genus ''Argyrosomus'']
{{Taxonbar|from=Q358337}}
[[Category:Fish of the Atlantic Ocean]] [[Category:Fish of the North Sea]] [[Category:Fish of the Black Sea]] [[Category:Fish of the Mediterranean Sea]] [[Category:Fish of the Baltic Sea]] [[Category:Fish of Europe]] [[Category:Fish of West Asia]] [[Category:Argyrosomus|regius]] [[Category:Fish described in 1801]] [[Category:Taxa named by Ignacio Jordán Claudio de Asso y del Río]]