Blackspotted Croaker, Protonibea diacanthus (Lacépède 1802)

Other Names: Black Croaker, Black Jew, Black Jewfish, Black Spotted Croaker, Black-spotted Croaker, Blotched Jewfish, Jewy, Mulloway, Spotted Croaker, Spotted Jewfish, Two-spined Jewfish

Blackspotted Croaker, Protonibea diacanthus. Source: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Summary:

Black jewfish can be distinguished from southern jewfish (mulloway) by the narrower shape of the tail peduncle, and their darker colouration. This species has a rapid growth rate, reaching 60 cm in around 2 years and maturing in around 4 years at 80-90 cm. Fish Distribution: This species occurs throughout the Indo-west Pacific region from the Persian Gulf and India, north to Japan and south to Papua New Guinea and northern Australia. They occur in estuaries and coastal waters over muddy bottoms, rocky reefs and other structures. There are several different populations of black jewfish in northern Australia, each with its own discreet spawning area to which fish return year after year.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2022, Protonibea diacanthus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/671

Blackspotted Croaker, Protonibea diacanthus (Lacépède 1802)

More Info

Distribution	South of Onslow, Western Australia, to north of Mackay, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical, Indo-west Pacific. Inhabit estuarine and coastal waters over muddy bottoms and offshore to depths of 100 m.
Feeding	Opportunistic feeders, preying mostly on crustaceans and small fishes.
Biology	Forms spawning aggregations.
Fisheries	A popular recreational and commercial species. Individuals caught below 10 m are susceptible to barotrauma-induced injuries (tissue damage due to expansion of the swim bladder on ascent). As a result, catch and release from water deeper than 15 m is not recommended.
Species Citation	Lutjanus diacanthus Lacépède 1802, Hist. Nat. Poiss. 4 : 240. Type locality unknown.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2022

Blackspotted Croaker, Protonibea diacanthus (Lacépède 1802)

References

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Grant, E.M. 2002. Guide to Fishes. Redcliffe : EM Grant Pty Ltd 880 pp.

Lacépède, B.G. 1802. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris : chez Plassan Vol. 4 728 pp. 16 pls.

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Sasaki, K. 2001. Sciaenidae. pp. 3117-3174 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds) The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 5 2791-3379 pp.

Trewavas, E. 1977. The sciaenid fishes (croakers or drums) of the Indo-West Pacific. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 33: 253-541 figs 1-61 pls 1-14

Whitley, G.P. 1945. New sharks and fishes from Western Australia. Part 2. The Australian Zoologist 11(1): 1-42 figs 1-15. (as Sciaena antarctica rex)

Yearsley, G.K., Last, P.R. & Ward, R.D. (eds) 1999. Australian Seafood Handbook. Hobart : CSIRO Marine Research 460 pp.