Species: Menticirrhus saxatilis, Northern Kingfish, Northern Kingcroaker

Menticirrhus saxatilis (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Northern Kingfish, Northern Kingcroaker

Elongate, triangular body with a flat belly; head long, low; snout ~ conical, projecting beyond small horizontal mouth; a short, rigid barbel on chin with a pore at its tip, 2 pairs of pores beside that barbel; teeth small & simple, no molar-like teeth on plate in throat; outer row teeth of upper jaw distinctly enlarged; preoperculum smooth; gill rakers short and knob-like, 3-12, disappear in large fish; top corner of gill opening notched; dorsal rays X-XI + I,22-27, longest spine of 1st dorsal reaches past origin of 2nd dorsal; anal rays I (weak), 8 (7-9); pectoral fins reaching beyond tips of depressed pelvic fins; tail margin S-shaped; scales small, rough, not much smaller on breast than on rest of body; soft dorsal with 1 row of scales along its base; the lateral line extends to the center of the end of the tail fin.

Silvery grey; 5-6 distinct oblique bars on nape and body, those bars change orientation under 1st dorsal fin so that 2nd and 3rd bars form a V; a dark stripe along lower side behind pectoral; fins dusky, 1st dorsal with dark margin; inside gill chamber dusky.

Size: grows to 46 cm.

Inhabits sand-mud and sand bottoms of coastal waters, common in surf zone; enters estuaries, juveniles into nearly freshwater.

Depth: 1-128 m.

Maine through to the southern Gulf of Mexico.