Orangemouth Corvina: Facts & Habitat

About Orangemouth Corvina

Orangemouth corvina are coastal eastern Pacific fish that were also introduced into inland saline waters.

Natural history

FishBase places the species in marine and brackish coastal habitat and records an introduction into California’s highly saline Salton Sea. It reproduces by laying eggs. Its native Mexican coastal occurrence and introduced inland population should be distinguished when describing its range.

USGS documents stocking for sport fishing in both California and Texas. The reported Texas stocking total was much larger than the number introduced into the Salton Sea. Stocking numbers describe human effort; they do not by themselves establish whether a population became self-sustaining or how it affected other fish.

Sources: Cynoscion xanthulus species summary; Orangemouth Corvina species profile

Guide sources

Research reviewed 2026-10-19.

Cynoscion xanthulus species summary — FishBase
Orangemouth Corvina species profile — U.S. Geological Survey

Native range

Marine. Pacific Coast from Gulf of California to Acapulco, Mexico (Page and Burr 1991).

Introduction history

In California, stockings were carried out by the California Department of Fish and Game, and in Texas by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, for the purpose of introducing a sportfish. Total number of fish introduced into the Salton Sea did not exceed 272 (Walker et al. 1961); the Texas stockings totaled nearly 770,000 fish (Howells and Garrett 1992).

Ecological impacts

Largely unknown. Texas biologists expressed concern over the potential for establishment of this species in the Gulf of America (Howells and Garrett 1992).

Range

Where it lives

53.3%of mapped records

Share of 45 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 3 states.

Share of records by state

Habitat

Water and movement

Water: WoRMS records this species in brackish water and the sea.
USGS NAS habitat: Marine
US status: Exotic — the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database lists it as introduced from outside North America.

Classification

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Superclass: Actinopterygii
Class: Teleostei
Order: Perciformes
Family: Sciaenidae
Genus: Cynoscion
Species: Cynoscion xanthulus
ITIS TSN: 169252
WoRMS AphiaID: 276095
GBIF key: 2400008

Common questions about Orangemouth Corvina

What is the scientific name of Orangemouth Corvina?

The scientific name is Cynoscion xanthulus, in the family Sciaenidae. Classification follows ITIS.

Does Orangemouth Corvina live in fresh water or salt water?

WoRMS records this species in brackish water and the sea.

Where has Orangemouth Corvina been recorded in the United States?

GBIF has observations in 3 states, with the most records in California, Texas, New Mexico. The map shows observation records, which do not establish the complete natural range.

Closest relatives