Queenfish
Sign in to saveThe queenfish (Seriphus politus) is a species of fish in the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, where it occurs along the North American coastline from Oregon to Baja California; it has been recorded as far north as British Columbia. Its centre of distribution is the Southern California Bight. It is also known commonly as the queen croaker. This is the only species in the monotypic genus Seriphus. A fossil relative, S. lavenbergi, is known from the Late Miocene-aged Puente Formation of the Los Angeles Basin.
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The queenfish (Seriphus politus) is a species of fish in the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, where it occurs along the North American coastline from Oregon to Baja California; it has been recorded as far north as British Columbia. Its centre of distribution is the Southern California Bight. It is also known commonly as the queen croaker. This is the only species in the monotypic genus Seriphus. A fossil relative, S. lavenbergi, is known from the Late Miocene-aged Puente Formation of the Los Angeles Basin.
==Description== right|thumb|Distinguishing features This species is up to long. It has an elongated, compressed body. It is blue-grey to tan in colour with a shiny silver belly and a dark horizontal line running the length of the body. The pectoral fin is dark and the other fins are yellowish. The mouth contains one or two rows of pointed teeth.