Read the article with FishingTheSpot: the southern kingfish
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See the fishing tripsThe Southern Kingfish
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The Southern Kingfish belongs to the Scianidae family. The southern kingfish can reach about 50 centimeters, but a more common adult length is 30 centimeters for a weight of 1.15 kg. It has a lifespan of 6 years. They breed from March to September. It can be fished all year round.
The Southern kingfish has an elongated body and a lower or downwardly directed mouth, with the snout extending beyond the mouth. They have only one rigid barbell under their chin. Kingfish are demersal fish, which means they live near the bottom. The southern kingfish is silver-grey, paler below and may have a coppery sheen. They often have seven or eight dark bars on the sides of the body. The dorsal fin is divided into two sections. Male and female fish have a similar appearance.
The Southern Kingfish lifestyle
The South Kingfish feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates, including shrimp and other small crustaceans. They also eat amphipods, polychaete worms, molluscs and small fish. The chin is used to locate the prey on the bottom. Larvae feed on zooplankton.
They spawn in groups and spawn about every seven days during the spawning season, which runs from March to September in the waters of the Mississippi. In Mississippi, spawning occurs in the Mississippi Strait and south of the barrier islands. South kingfish in Mississippi waters reach sexual maturity at one year of age. At this age, males are about 13 cm long, while females are much larger and about 19.05 cm long.
The Southern Kingfish habitat
The Southern Kingfish species are common from southern New England to the southern tip of Florida, throughout the Gulf of Mexico, and south along the east coast of South America to Argentina.
The southern kingfish prefers sandy bottoms, but is also found on muddy bottoms and meadows. They live in coastal and offshore waters to a depth of about 9 meters. They are usually found on sandy beaches where wave action frees small crabs and crustaceans. Juveniles tolerate low salinity levels and are often found in estuaries.
The Southern Kingfish angling
They are usually caught by shrimp trawls.
