| Atlantic Croaker | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Sciaenidae |
| Genus: | Micropogonias |
| Species: | M. undulatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Micropogonias undulatus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
|
Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) belongs to the Family Sciaenidae and is closely related to Black Drum (Pogonias cromis), Silver Perch (Bairdiella chrysoura), Spot (Leiostomus xanthurus), Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), and Weakfish (Cynoscion regalis). They are commonly found in sounds and estuaries from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico.
Croaker populations greatly vary year to year, and can be dependent on the conditions of their habitat. Management of croaker is challenging due to the variability year to year.