Paperhead croaker (Johnius novaeguineae)

Scientific name: Johnius novaeguineae Nichols, 1950

The Paperhead croaker (Johnius novaeguineae) is a brackish-water fish of the family Sciaenidae. Native range: Western Central Pacific, New Guinea and northern Australia.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 8 - 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 25-30; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 6 - 8. Head swollen and deep. Eye very small, 11 to 16 % of head length; snout very steeply rounded, but not swollen or projecting; mouth very large, strongly oblique; no barbel; no upper rostral pores; mental pores in one pair only, open behind symphysis; teeth well differentiated into large and small in both jaws; gill rakers long, slender, equal to or longer than gill filaments at angle, 16 to 18 on lower limb. Dorsal fin with VII to IX (most frequently VIII) spines. Second anal spine long, slender, 31 to 44 % of head length; caudal fin acutely pointed. Swim bladder hammer-shaped, with 11 pairs of arborescent appendages along its side, the first pair entering head beyond transverse septum and sending a palmate branch to the front of pectoral arch. Sagitta (large earstone) with tadpole-shaped impression, the head of which has its long axis lying obliquely to that of

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Johnius novaeguineae
Family
Sciaenidae (Drums or croakers)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
9.0
Common length
7.0
Environment
Marine; brackish; benthopelagic
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Central Pacific: New Guinea and northern Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

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

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