Menticirrhus undulatus
| California corbina | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Sciaenidae |
| Genus: | Menticirrhus |
| Species: | M. undulatus |
| Binomial name | |
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Menticirrhus undulatus (Girard, 1854) |
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The California corbina (Menticirrhus undulatus) is a saltwater fish and member of the croaker family. California corbina occur from the Gulf of California, Mexico, to Point Conception, California. It is a bottom fish found along sandy beaches and in shallow bays. This species travels in small groups along the surf zone in a few inches of water to depths of 45 feet (14 m). The largest recorded specimen was 28 inches (710 mm) and 8.5 pounds. Other names include "California kingcroaker," "California whiting," and "sucker." California corbina should not be confused with corvina in the genus Cynoscion, which are taken in the Salton Sea and Gulf of California.
The body of the California corbina is elongate and slightly compressed. The head is long and the mouth is small, the upper jaw scarcely reaching a point below the front of the eye. The color is uniform grey with iridescent reflections, and with wavy diagonal lines on the sides. This croaker and the yellowfin croaker are the only two of the eight coastal croakers present in California waters to have a single fleshy projection, or barbel, on the lower jaw. The California corbina usually has only one weak spine at the front of the anal fin, while the yellowfin croaker has two strong spines. The caudal fin (tail) is unusual in that the upper half has a concave trailing edge, the lower half trailing edge is convex.
Adults have been seen feeding in the surf, at times in water so shallow that their backs were exposed. They scoop up mouthsful of sand and separate the food by expelling the sand through the gills. They are very particular feeders, apparently spitting out bits of clam shells and other foreign matter. About 90 percent of the food they eat is sand crabs – Emerita analoga. Other crustaceans and clams are of lesser importance. Males mature when 2 years old at a length of about 10 inches and females at age 3 when about 13 inches long. Spawning extends from June to September, but is heaviest during July and August. Spawning apparently takes place offshore as running ripe fish are not often found in the surf zone. The eggs are free floating. Young corbina, 1 inch long, have been observed outside the surf in 4–8 feet (1.2–2.4 m) of water in August. They travel in large groups, commonly known as the "fish of the sea."
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Wikipedia