Dusky Croaker, Ophioscion scierus

Dusky Croaker, Ophioscion scierus. Fish caught from coastal water off Mazatlán, Sinaloa, October 2016. Length: 15.2 cm (6.0 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of George Brinkman, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Identification reconfirmed by H.J. Walker, Jr., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California.

Dusky Croaker, Ophioscion scierus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Mazatlán, Sinaloa, October 2021. Length: 18 cm (7.1 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Bart, The Netherlands  (worldangler.eu).

The Dusky Croaker, Ophioscion scierus, is a member of the Croaker or Sciaenidae Family, that is also known as the Tuza Croaker and the Point-Tuza Croaker and in Mexico as corvineta parda. Globally, there are ten species in the genus Ophioscion, of which five are found in Mexican waters, all in the Pacific Ocean.

The Dusky Croaker has an elongated and slightly compressed body with a low head and snout. They have a dark silvery brown coloration with dusky scale margins that form oblique lines. Their fins are dusky brown except for their pelvic fins which are lighter in color. Their head has a slightly overhanging snout and a small horizontal mouth equipped with teeth in simple bands. Their gill covers have 8 to 10 strong spines. Their chin does not have a barbel, however, their snout has 3 upper pores and 5 pores on the side, and their chin has 5 pores. Their anal fin has a short base with 2 spines and 7 rays, the second ray being the longest; their caudal fin is “S”-shaped; their first dorsal fin has 10 spines; their second dorsal fin has 1 spine and 24 to 26 rays; and, their pectoral fins are long and reach past the ends of the depressed pelvic fins. They have 19 to 23 short gill rakers. Their body is covered with rough scales.

The Dusky Croaker is found in coastal waters including bays and river mouths at depths up to 20 m (65 feet). They reach a maximum of 35 cm (14 inches) in length. They consume shrimp and other benthic invertebrates. The Dusky Croaker is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Dusky Croaker is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean but has a limited distribution being found from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, southward along the west coast of the mainland to Guatemala.

The Dusky Croaker can be confused with the Racer Croaker, Ophioscion typicus (caudal fin with angular point), the Shortnose Stardrum, Stellifer chrysoleuca (anal fin with wider base and eight or nine spines), and the Squint-eyed Croaker, Ophioscion strabo (caudal fin with angular point),

From a conservation perspective the Dusky Croaker is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are rare and small in stature that are sold on a limited basis in local markets within their region.