southern kingfish x
Latin Name: Menticirrhus americanus
Species: Fish
Conservation Status: S4-5 - Secure
The southern kingfish has an elongated body, a relatively small mouth, and one single short rigid barbel on its chin. They are silvery-gray or tan in color with a white belly. They also have 7-8 faint dark bars on the sides with their fins usually yellowish in color. On average they get 6-10 inches long and only half a pound. The maximum known age is 6 years old but it’s more common for them to live about 3 years.
Range & Habitat
Southern kingfish are found from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico. The adults and juveniles both occur over muddy or sand-mud bottoms in shallow coastal water and estuaries. They sometimes can also be seen along beaches, near inlets, and at the mouths of larger coastal sounds. The juveniles can sometimes be found in more upper estuarine areas. They thrive in brackish marine environments, along with just about any soft bottom environment. They are pretty secluded to shallow waters with their maximum depth being 110 meters.
Diet
Southern kingfish use the barbel on their chin to help locate bottom prey in estuaries and the surf. They are carnivores predating mainly on worms, crustacea like shrimp and crabs, and small bony fish. During their larval stage they eat zooplankton until they have grown enough to begin eating small fish and worms.
Life History
They are typically mature by 1 year old. Males are about 5.3 inches at maturity and the females and 7.5 inches at maturity. The mature females move offshore starting in April continuing through September to spawn. The larvae enter nearshore waters in late spring and utilize estuaries and beaches as nursery grounds. As adults they are typically found around areas like piers, bridges and in the surf near land. However, they are known to overwinter in deeper waters offshore.
Significance
The southern kingfish is important in our ecosystems because it is typically so numerous they are a reflection on the health of the ecosystem. The second we begin to notice decline of the fish we know the health of that particular waterway is in decline as well.
Threats & How You Can Help
Some obvious threats are degradation and loss of estuarine or nearshore habitats which is where they live. It is also common for there to be a risk of recreational over harvesting. However it is also very known that the southern kingfish has also lost significant numbers as a result of being by-catch in the southeast U.S. shrimp trawl fishery. Meaning they were accidentally caught and killed when the target for that fishery was shrimp. To help you could aid in the building of living shorelines in the community. Putting in these living shorelines slows down and stops the receding of the marshes. You could also vouch for more regulations on fishing gear in the shrimp fisheries that by-catch the southern kingfish.
Additional Resources
https://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/species/southernkingfish.html
https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/saltwater/drums/southern-kingfish/
https://www.dnr.sc.gov/swap/supplemental/marine/southernkingfish2015.pdf