An annotated checklist of fishes of the family Sciaenidae

A checklist of the croakers of the world, family Sciaenidae, is presented. A total of 584 nominal species belonging to 289 valid species and 69 genera is included. Four genera, Johnius with 32 species, Cynoscion 25, Stellifer 24, and Umbrina 17 contains 30% of the species, whereas 43% of the genera (31) are monotypic. Eques is a valid genus-name and should be used instead of Equetus. Fourteen nominal species remain unidentifiable and are placed in incertae sedis, whereas 12 nominal species currently described in sciaenid genera lay outside the family. Among this latter group two of them represent senior synonyms of well-established species: Sciaena guttata Bloch and Schneider, 1801 and Sciaena pallida Walbaum, 1792 predate Giuris margaritaceus (Valenciennes, 1837) and Cymolutes praetextatus (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824), respectively, and they are here declared nomina oblita.