Species: Micropogonias altipinnis, Golden croaker, Highfin croaker, Tallfin croaker
Micropogonias altipinnis (Günther, 1864)
Golden croaker, Highfin croaker, Tallfin croaker
Body elongate, moderately compressed; prominent snout; eye relatively small (< 1/2 snout length); mouth small, under snout, lips thin; teeth simple, no canines, outer row teeth of upper jaw slightly enlarged; 4-5 inconspicuous barbels along inner side of lower jaw; margin of preopercle strongly serrated, 2 spines at the angle; gill rakers 24-25; dorsal rays X + I, 19-23, first dorsal tall, reaching beyond origin of second dorsal fin when depressed; anal rays II, 7-8, 2nd spine robust, > half length of 1st anal ray; tail margin a short, blunt point, upper lobe slightly concave; scales large, rough on body and nape, smooth on breast and cheek; pored lateral-line scales 48-52; soft dorsal and anal fins without scales.
Silvery with a golden hue; scale rows above lateral line with faint brownish longitudinal streaks, also several oblique bars running upward and backward, crossing arched portion of lateral line; fins yellowish, dorsal and caudal fins somewhat dusky.
Size: attains 66 cm.
Inhabits coastal waters.
Depth: 1-104 m.
Southern Baja and the central Gulf of California to northern Peru.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Brackish
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Near Bottom
- Bottom + water column
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Beach
- Soft bottom only
- Freshwater
- Estuary
- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bentho-Pelagic
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Data
- Mobile benthic worms
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
-
- No data
- Pelagic larva
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- East Pacific endemic
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent only
- TEP endemic
- Continental TEP endemic
- 3 provinces (Cortez + Mexican + Panamic) endemic
- All species
- Continent
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 66
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 104
