Description
The southern kingcroaker can grow to about 50 centimetres (20 in) but a more usual adult length is 30 centimetres (12 in).
The southern kingcroaker is a slender fish, deepest about two fifths of the way along. The upper jaw projects further than the lower and the snout overhangs the mouth. There is a small barbel on the fleshy lower lip. The dorsal fin is divided into two parts. The number of spines and soft rays in the fins is indicative of the species and in M. americanus, the front part of the dorsal fin is broadly triangular and has 10 spines and the other part is long and has 1 spine and 22 to 25 soft rays. The pointed pectoral fins are large and the anal fin has 1 spine and 7 or 8 soft rays. The tail fin has a characteristic slightly concave upper lobe and a rounded lower lobe. The colour of the fish is silvery grey, sometimes with a coppery sheen, and paler grey below. There are sometimes several broad slanting bands of darker colour on the back of the fish.
Distribution and habitat
The southern kingcroaker is a subtropical, demersal fish found in shallow waters in the western Atlantic Ocean. It has a discontinuous range extending from New York southwards to Texas, and from Yucatán southwards to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The northern portion of its range is interrupted in its not being found in southern Florida and the southern portion of its range is interrupted by absence from the West Indies. It is found in places where the seabed is sand or mud, often on sandy beaches. The juveniles can tolerate low salinity levels and are often found in estuaries.
Biology
The southern kingcroaker feeds on benthic invertebrates. The diet consists mainly of small crustaceans such as shrimps and crabs but amphipods, polychaete worms, molluscs and small fish are also eaten and it also scavenges for detritus and carrion.
Spawning takes place from June to November in the area of Delaware Bay.
Uses
The southern kingcroaker is fished both commercially and by beach anglers.
Additional field notes
Jewsharp drummer is the catalog name for the southern kingfish, Menticirrhus americanus. It is a bottom-feeding coastal drum with a pointed snout and a small chin barbel.
Field identification notes
The body is elongated with a flattened underside. Look for faint diagonal bars, including a pair that can form a V below the first dorsal fin. There is no dark longitudinal stripe. The chin barbel is short and thick, and the tail edge has a shallow S-shaped outline.
Habitat and range notes
Mud and sand bottoms along the coast, including bays and surf beaches, are characteristic habitat. Young fish use estuaries. The Smithsonian regional account runs from Massachusetts through the Gulf of Mexico and includes Cuba; an observed fish still needs local identification rather than a name inferred from range.
Feeding and life-history notes
Worms, small crustaceans, and fishes are listed as prey. The source reports growth to 60 cm and an age of five years. Those are reported species figures, not an estimate of the age or size of every fish encountered in the surf.
Guide sources
Research reviewed 2026-10-17.
- Menticirrhus americanus species account — Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Menticirrhus americanus (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
