Blackspotted croaker (Protonibea diacanthus)

Scientific name: Protonibea diacanthus Lacep?de, 1802

The Blackspotted croaker (Protonibea diacanthus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Sciaenidae.

Biology

Found in coastal waters over muddy bottoms, off the sea-bed. Ascend tidal rivers and estuaries. Feed mainly on crustaceans and small fishes. Also caught with bottom trawls. Sold fresh and dried salted (swim bladder) in markets. An important food fish.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Protonibea diacanthus
Family: Sciaenidae (Drums or croakers)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 150
Common length: 100.0
Depth range: 60 m (197 ft)
Environment: Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range ? - 60 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: west coast of the Persian Gulf and along the coasts of India and Sri Lanka, north to Japan and south through the Philippines and Borneo to New Guinea and northern Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial; aquaculture: commercial
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.29-0.39)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026