Southern meagre (Argyrosomus hololepidotus)

Scientific name: Argyrosomus hololepidotus Lacep?de, 1801

The Southern meagre (Argyrosomus hololepidotus) is a freshwater fish of the family Sciaenidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 13–24°C (55–75°F). Native range: Indian Ocean, endemic to Madagascar.

Southern meagre care at a glance

Temperature: 13–24°C (55–75°F)

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 26-30; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 7. Body silvery; fins grey or brown; upper end of pectoral base with a black blotch.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Argyrosomus hololepidotus
Family: Sciaenidae (Drums or croakers)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 200
Common length: 100.0
Depth range: 400 m (1312 ft)
Environment: Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; depth range ? - 400 m, usually 15 - 150 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Indian Ocean: endemic to Madagascar.
Conservation status (IUCN): Endangered (EN) (B1ab(ii,iii,v)+2ab(ii,iii,v))
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (K=0.03; tm=6)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026