Sharpnose Corvina

Sharpnose Corvina, Cynoscion phoxocephalus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Puerto Chomes, Costa Rica, March 2021. Length: 43 cm (17 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Eli (obsessiveangling.wordpress.com).

The Sharpnose Corvina, Cynoscion phoxocephalus, is a member of the Croaker or Sciaenidae Family, that is also known as the Cachema Weakfish and in Mexico as corvina picuda. Globally, there are twenty-four species in the genus Cynoscion, of which thirteen are found in Mexican waters, three in the Atlantic and ten in the Pacific Ocean.

The Sharpnose Corvina has an elongated compressed body with an oval cross-section. They are silvery in overall cover and bluish-gray dorsally transitioning to white ventrally. Their caudal and dorsal fins are dusky; their anal, pectoral and pelvic fins are whitish. They have a black pectoral axis. Their head is pointed with a straight profile that extends from the nape to the dorsal fin origin, with an oblique mouth that opens mid-eye level and reaches the middle of the eye and is equipped with prominent teeth on the lower jaw set in 1 to 3 rows and a pair of canines at the front of the upper jaw. Their anal fin has 2 spines and 10 rays; their caudal fin has a straight margin; their dorsal fin is continuous with 9 or 10 spines followed by 1 spine and 20 to 22 rays and has a long base; their pectoral fins have 16 or 17 rays and are short ending well before the pelvic fin tips. They have 7 or 8 gill rakers on the first arch. They are covered with smooth scales. Their lateral line is prominent and is straight and slightly arched anteriorly.

The Sharpnose Corvina is a demersal schooling species that in coastal waters and estuaries with high salinities at depths up to 30 m (100 feet). They reach a maximum of 60 cm (2 feet 0 inches) in length. They consume small crustaceans, small fish and shrimps. The Sharpnose Corvina is 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 Sharpnose Corvina is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean but is limited to coastal waters off the State of Nayarit south to Guatemala.

The Sharpnose Corvina can be confused with the Queen Corvina, Cynoscion albus (pointed caudal fin and pectoral fins are longer than the pelvic fins) and the Striped Corvina, Cynoscion reticulatus (body covered with thin black stripes).

From a conservation perspective the Sharpnose Corvina is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. In certain parts of their range, they are considered to be an important commercial fish that are pursued by artisanal, commercial and subsistence fishermen. They are also considered to be an excellent sportsfish by recreational anglers. They are also caught in large quantities as a by catch of the shrimp trawler fishery.