Northern kingcroaker

Menticirrhus saxatilis, the northern kingfish or northern kingcroaker, is a species of marine fish in the family Sciaenidae (commonly known as the "drum" or "croaker" family). It lives in the shallow coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

Distribution

The northern kingfish is a subtropical, demersal fish found in shallow waters in the western Atlantic Ocean. Its range extends from Massachusetts southwards through the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan peninsular of Mexico. It is found in schools in places where the seabed is sand or mud, in the surf zone and in estuaries. It can tolerate low salinity levels and the juveniles are often found in tidal rivers and creeks. It is occasionally seen in Maine and in this more northerly part of its range it is migratory, disappearing from October to May.