northern kingfish
Menticirrhus saxatilis
Northern kingfish of beaches and the surf zone, from the eastern United States to Mexico. It is a sport fish with excellent-quality flesh.
Also called: betara-do-norte, lambe zorro, berrugata, northern kingfish
- maximum
- 46 cm
- record/max.
- 1.1 kg
who is the northern kingfish
The northern kingfish is a fish of the family Sciaenidae, with a spindle-shaped body, reaching 46 cm and up to 1.1 kg, with a common size of 30 cm. Adults live in shallow coastal waters, over sand and sandy mud, and are common in the surf zone and estuaries. It feeds mainly on worms and crustaceans. It has a small commercial fishery, is considered a sport fish and is an excellent food fish. It can live up to 4 years.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the northern kingfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Juveniles may enter rivers and streams of low salinity.
identification
Spindle-shaped body, typical of kingfish, reaching 46 cm. Adults live on beaches and shallow coastal waters, over sand and sandy mud, and are common in the surf zone and estuaries. Juveniles may enter rivers and streams of low salinity. It searches the bottom for worms and crustaceans, and its beach and estuary habitat is the best clue for identifying it.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
It lives in the northern Atlantic, from Massachusetts to southern Florida, and in the Gulf of Mexico to Yucatán. In Latin America it appears only in Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago.
Habitat: Shallow coastal waters, over sand and sandy mud, in the surf zone and estuaries.
rules for the northern kingfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It is harmless to handle. Release what you are not going to keep.
in the kitchen
It is considered an excellent food fish.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00813, b = 3.03; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Menticirrhus saxatilis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Menticirrhus saxatilisNames by country and language.
