Species: Menticirrhus nasus, Highfin kingfish, Highfin king-croaker

Menticirrhus nasus (Günther, 1868)

Highfin kingfish, Highfin king-croaker

Body elongate, rounded in cross-section, belly flat; head long, low; snout ~ conical, projecting beyond horizontal mouth;  eye not small; teeth villiform, no canines, outer row teeth of upper jaw scarcely enlarged if at all; slits and pores above mouth; a short thick barbel on chin with a pore at its point and several more at its base; gill rakers short, 4-9; preopercle weakly serrated; dorsal rays X + I, 21-23, spines II-IV very long; anal rays I, 8, spine weak; pectoral fins large, fanlike, reaching beyond tips of depressed pelvic fins; tail margin S-shaped with pointed upper lobe; scales of head and body rough, except smooth on breast, breast scales about same size as body scales; soft dorsal and anal fins without low, basal scaly sheath; pored lateral-line scales 49-56.