Menticirrhus saxatilis (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Northern kingfish
Menticirrhus saxatilis
photo by Flescher, D.

Family:  Sciaenidae (Drums or croakers)
Max. size:  46 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 1,110.0 g; max. reported age: 4 years
Environment:  demersal; brackish; marine; depth range - 10 m
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: Massachusetts to southern Florida in USA and Gulf of Mexico to Yucatan in Mexico.
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  Adults occur usually in shallow coastal waters over sand to sandy mud bottoms. Common in the surf zone and in estuaries. Juveniles may enter tidal rivers and creeks of low salinity. Feed mainly on worms and crustaceans. An excellent food fish.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 23 January 2020 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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