Lithognathus lithognathus, White steenbras : fisheries, gamefish

Lithognathus lithognathus (Cuvier, 1829)

White steenbras
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Lithognathus lithognathus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Lithognathus lithognathus (White steenbras)
Lithognathus lithognathus
Picture by FAO

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) > Sparidae (Porgies)
Etymology: Lithognathus: Greek, lithos = stone + Greek, gnathos = jaw (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Cuvier.

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

Marine; brackish; benthopelagic; amphidromous (Ref. 51243); depth range ? - 150 m (Ref. 27121). Subtropical; 22°S - 31°S

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

Southeast Atlantic: known only from the Orange River mouth to Natal, South Africa.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 54.0  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 200 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3198); common length : 65.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3507)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. Silvery in color, crossbars fade with age.
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found over sandy substrate, in estuaries and oceanic waters. Enters lagoons (Ref. 3198). Feeds bottom invertebrates, including worms, crabs and shrimp (Ref. 27121). Spawns in the sea but uses estuaries as nursery grounds. Prime angling fish. Important food fish. Sold fresh and whole in markets.

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

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Bauchot, M.-L. and M.M. Smith, 1984. Sparidae. 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. 3507)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))

  Endangered (EN) (A2bcd); Date assessed: 11 July 2024

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
FAO - Fisheries: landings search; Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Territories
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Genetics
Genome
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability
Genetic Diversity
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
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Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures
References
References

Tools

E-book | Field guide | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Fisheries: landings search; Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index
(Ref. 82804) 		PD50 = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight a=0.01549 (0.00934 - 0.02568), b=3.04 (2.90 - 3.18), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level
(Ref. 69278) 		3.1   ±0.1 se; based on diet studies.
Generation time 10.9 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 1 growth studies.
Resilience
(Ref. 120179) 		Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.1).
Fishing Vulnerability
(Ref. 59153) 		High to very high vulnerability (72 of 100). 🛈
Climate Vulnerability
(Ref. 125649) 		Very high vulnerability (78 of 100). 🛈
Price category
(Ref. 80766) 		Low.
Nutrients
(Ref. 124155) 		Calcium = 24.8 [12.9, 45.8] mg/100g; Iron = 0.664 [0.364, 1.136] mg/100g; Protein = 18.5 [16.9, 20.3] %; Omega3 = 0.302 [0.191, 0.497] g/100g; Selenium = 45.7 [21.7, 85.5] μg/100g; VitaminA = 6.95 [2.03, 19.38] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.722 [0.505, 1.031] mg/100g (wet weight);