Species: Menticirrhus paitensis, Paita kingfish, Paita king-croaker

Menticirrhus paitensis Hildebrand, 1946

Paita kingfish, Paita king-croaker

Body elongate, very slender rounded in cross-section, belly flat; head long, low; snout ~ conical, projecting beyond horizontal mouth; teeth villiform, no canines, outer row teeth of upper jaw scarcely enlarged if at all; slits and pores above mouth; short thick barbel on chin with a pore at its point and several more at its base; gill rakers short, 6-9; preopercle weakly serrated; dorsal rays X-XII + I, 22-25, spines short, longest spine reaching only 1st  soft ray; anal rays I, 7, spine weak; pectoral 21-23, reach past end of pelvics; tail S shaped; scales of head and body rough, scales on breast ~ same size as those on upper body; soft dorsal and anal fins without scaly sheath; pored lateral-line scales 76-98.