Kingfishes is the AFS accepted common name for a small group of drum in the genus Menticirrhus. This group of fishes has more common names than any other taxon I can think of off the top of my head, with names like “Sea Mullet”, “Whiting”, “Virginia Mullet”, “King Croaker”, and “Kingfish” to name a few. In North Carolina, the name “Sea Mullet” can be heard most often amongst fishermen, and “Kingfishes” amongst ichthyologists. The kingfishes are not a single species of fish, but rather represent 3 distinct species in North Carolina, and a handful more in the Pacific.
Northern Kingfish
Menticirrhus saxatilis
Southern Kingfish
Menticirrhus americanus
Gulf Kingfish
Menticirrhus littoralis
To help anglers identify these fishes, we have created this identification aid:
The Kingfishes of North Carolina
Smoke very well also like northern whiting. Need to brine slightly longer than northern whiting. Delicious too!