Scatophagus argus, Spotted scat : fisheries, aquaculture, aquarium

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Scatophagus argus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Spotted scat
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Scatophagus argus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Acanthuriformes (Surgeonfishes) > Scatophagidae (Scats)
Etymology: Scatophagus: Greek, skatophagos = feeding upon dung (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; amphidromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 5 m (Ref. 90102). Tropical; 20°C - 28°C (Ref. 13371); 35°N - 33°S, 48°E - 171°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: Kuwait to Fiji, north to southern Japan, south to New Caledonia. Reported from Samoa (Ref. 9710), Tonga (Ref. 53797), and the Society Islands (Ref. 2847).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 14 - ? cm
Max length : 45.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 108711); common length : 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3489)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 10 - 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16-18; Anal spines: 4; Anal soft rays: 13 - 15. Ground colour greenish. Juveniles with a few large roundish blotches, about size of eye, or with about 5 or 6 broad, dark, vertical bars. In large adults, spots may be faint and restricted to dorsal part of flanks. Body quadrangular, strongly compressed. Dorsal head profile steep. Eye moderately large, its diameter somewhat smaller than snout length. Snout rounded. Mouth small, horizontal, not protractile. Teeth villiform, in several rows on jaws (ref 43044).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabit harbors, natural embayments, brackish estuaries and the lower reaches of freshwater streams, frequently occurring among mangroves. Feed on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant matter (Ref. 7020, 44894, 48637). The dorsal, anal and pelvic spines are believed by Philippine fishers to be venomous and capable of inflicting wounds (Ref. 6565). Used in Chinese medicine (Ref. 12166). In Hong Kong live fish markets (Ref. 27253). Marketed as fresh (Ref. 12693).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Multiple spawner (Ref. 102820).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Allen, G.R., 1984. Scatophagidae. In W. Fischer and G. Bianchi (eds.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean (Fishing Area 51). volume 4. [var. pag.]. FAO, Rome. (Ref. 3489)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 04 February 2009

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Venomous (Ref. 6565)





Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Alien/Invasive Species database | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 25.4 - 29.3, mean 28.6 °C (based on 2701 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.8125   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.03236 (0.02371 - 0.04416), b=2.92 (2.83 - 3.01), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.0   ±0.35 se; based on food items.
Generation time: 0.9 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 1 growth studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (tm=1; Fec=337,309; K=1.2).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (20 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Low.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 80.7 [40.4, 127.3] mg/100g; Iron = 0.8 [0.5, 1.4] mg/100g; Protein = 19.2 [18.0, 20.3] %; Omega3 = 0.0919 [, ] g/100g; Selenium = 28.9 [14.3, 62.6] μg/100g; VitaminA = 22.8 [6.1, 87.4] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.49 [0.96, 2.24] mg/100g (wet weight); based on nutrient studies.