About Menticirrhus saxatilis (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
The northern kingfish (Menticirrhus saxatilis) can reach a maximum length of around 46 centimetres (18 inches), though the more common adult length is 30 centimetres (12 inches). It is a slender fish, with the deepest part of its body located in the pectoral region. Like most bottom-feeding fish, its upper jaw extends further than its lower jaw, and its snout overhangs the mouth. A small barbel grows on its fleshy lower lip. Its dorsal fin is split into two sections. The anterior section is triangular, short but tall, and holds 10 spines; the third spine is the longest and extends into a short filament. The posterior section of the dorsal fin is long, slightly tapered, and has one spine plus 24 to 27 soft rays. The pointed pectoral fins are quite large, and the anal fin has 1 spine and 8 soft rays. The caudal (tail) fin has a distinctive shape: a slightly concave upper lobe and a rounded lower lobe. The fish is dark grey with a metallic sheen, and paler grey on its underside. Several darker diagonal bars mark its upper body. Most of these bars run toward the rear of the body, but one or two bars near the head slope in the opposite direction. The fins are dark, with white tips. Unlike most other members of its family, the northern kingfish has no air bladder, so it cannot produce the characteristic "croaking" sound the family is known for. The northern kingfish is a subtropical demersal fish that lives in shallow waters of the western Atlantic Ocean. Its range extends from Massachusetts south through the Gulf of Mexico to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. It forms schools in areas with sandy or muddy seabeds, in the surf zone and in estuaries. It can tolerate low salinity levels, and juveniles are often found in tidal rivers and creeks. It is occasionally spotted in Maine; in this more northern part of its range it is migratory, and is absent from October through May. The northern kingfish is not targeted commercially, but it provides good sport for surf anglers and nearshore boat fishers from New Jersey southward. Anglers use pieces of squid, clams, or bloodworms as bait for this species, and it has tasty white meat.
