Plagioscion is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers.

[2][3] Some species (notably P. squamosissimus and P. surinamensis) are important food fish and support major fisheries.

[2][4] The largest in the genus, P. squamosissimus, mainly feeds on fish smaller than 15 cm (6 in), but may take ones up to about 60% of the length of the Plagioscion itself.

[7] Plagioscion is a combination of plagio, meaning "oblique", and scion, the modern Greek name of Umbrina cirrosa, which Gill preferred over sciaena because he did not like the sound of Cynosciaena.

Gill did not explain what palgio was alluding to but he did mention that the crest and margin of the preoperculum were "oblique, nearly parallel".